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The Lega candidate – who is running for a seat in Italy's next elections –has long been a prominent opponent of the euro and has repeatedly expressed criticism of the Eurozone. Mr Bagnai said: "Studies from renown researchers such as Vladimiro Giacché, Luciano Barra Caracciolo and Giuseppe Guarino have proved the European project is incompatible with our Constitution. "Research from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) show that joining the Eurozone kickstarted a desegregation of the economic structures of member states. That means the eurozone benefits stronger countries and harms weaker members."

RAI 2•GETTY Italian election: Alberto Bagnai said EU reforms were a "disaster" for the Italian economy

Mr Bagnai is also the author of anti-euro landmark text 'Euro's Sunset. How and why the end of the common currency would save Europe's democracy and welfare." The Italian professor turned politician also backed his party leader Matteo Salvini for planning for a future outside of the Eurozone. Speaking to the Lega's online publication Il Populista, Mr Bagnai continued: "Matteo Salvini’s stance on euro and the European Union is absolutely moderate and prudent because he is planning on what to do should it be impossible to stop the desegregation of the Eurozone. "The process could be stopped if the central European countries became willing to cooperate with peripheral Europe. But we see each and every day that this willingness is lacking. Instead, we are witnessing Brussels getting ready to further tighten the banking system to put us on our knees – something our current Government appears to be utterly oblivious to.

The European project is incompatible with our Constitution. Alberto Bagnai