SONCINO -- Northern League leader, Matteo Salvini, likens Laura Boldrini, President of the Chamber of Deputies, to an inflatable doll, during a party meeting in Soncino in the province of Cremona. He has been widely criticised by both the public and other politicians on social media, but refused to apologise: “I won’t say sorry, she is the one who is racist with Italians.”

 “Women are not inflatable dolls and political conflicts should be fought with arguments, not with insults. Over to you to comment,” she addressed to the public on social media the morning after the remark was made.

 The newspaper La Provincia published a video of Salvini making the comment “and here, we have an inflatable doll of Boldrini,” which was greeted b and rounds of applause from those present.

 The Democratic Party and Sinistra Italiana have defended Boldrini against Salvini’s insult. “A dreary display of sexism, which not only offends the President Laura Boldrini, to whom I send my sympathies, but also all the men and women of our country,” the Minister of Constitutional Reforms, Maria Elena Boschi, said.

 Marianna Madia, Minister of Public Administration, also commented “he has less brains than an inflatable doll. My solidarity goes out to Laura Boldrini.” 

se