Dismiss Italy's Salvini at your peril

Italian politics is never short of drama, and the past few weeks have been no exception.

Since last year, Italy had been governed by an improbable alliance between the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S), led by Luigi di Maio, and the far-right Lega party, led by firebrand Matteo Salvini.

For fourteen months the two leaders – both vested with the title of deputy prime minister – barely held together a coalition that has been fraught with difficulties from the get-go, owing...