![epa07110954 French and Italian policeman check migrants at the border between Italy and France, in Claviere, Italy, 22 October 2018. The conflicts arising from passage of migrants between Italy and France has escalated over the weekend, after French border police turned back migrants trying to enter French soil from the Italian village of Claviere, the border area where now, Italy's interior minister Matteo Salvini has set up a special border patrol. EPA/ALESSANDRO DI MARCO](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3AAYBH42WUAGR7ZBOS45CWJLOM.jpg?smart=true&auth=4b9ac2ec16c5ecd41857480ef4c43e3e40317e38c4dc1900f67f88519391ea79&width=400&height=225)
French and Italian policeman check migrants at the border between Italy and France, in Claviere, Italy. EPA
French and Italian policeman check migrants at the border between Italy and France, in Claviere, Italy. EPA
Far-right party threatens to tarnish Italian democracy
The flurry of xenophobic policies adopted in the past weeks by the League may not be fascist, but they challenge democratic institutions
Federica Marsi
24 October, 2018