Northern League chief whips up secessionist sentiment Salvini says independence, changes to euro answer to crisis

(ANSA) - Venice, December 27 - Matteo Salvini, the leader of Italy's regionalist Northern League, began whipping up secessionist sentiment amongst his Northern Italian base on Friday, indicating independence as well as apossible exit from the euro single currency as the solution to the dire economic straits the North of Italy is facing."In order to relaunch employment, the only solution is independence" Salvini said. "Snall and medium-sized companies are asking us to accelerate on this battle." Salvini said the single currency has devastated the Northern Italian economy, reducing it to poverty in the 11 years since its introduction and pushing unemployment levels never seen before World War II, Salvini added.Salvini went on to say that the options that could be considered were the two-tie euro system that divided up the euro zone into a core group and a periphery group of participants, as well as the return to national currencies."What's certain is that the euro is the death of our economy" and that this point would be a political battlecry for the Northern League in the upcoming elòections."We are not euro sceptics, but instead we are the last of the convinced Europeans," he said. "However, if we need to exit the euro to relaunch the economy, this will be our battle."