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Luigi Di Maio (g) and Matteo Salvini, here during their swearing in on 1 June 2018, affirmed their support for "yellow vests". Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP

In Italy, the populists in power, and already campaigning for the European elections next May, officially expressed their support for French "yellow vests".

" I support honest citizens who protest against a governing president against his people, " said Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini. The boss of the League (far right), also Minister of the Interior, however added that he condemned with total firmness the violence of the last manifestations of "yellow vests".

But it is the other Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio, whose 5 Stars Movement (M5S) advocates a form of direct democracy since its inception in 2009, which was most enthusiastic in a long letter published on the movement blog. Also condemning the violence, he invites the "yellow vests" to consider the M5S as a model of direct democracy to follow and offers them the help of its Internet platform, reports our correspondent in Rome, Anne Le Nir .

Called "Rousseau", this platform allows the organization of events on the territory and, theoretically, to offer the possibility to any registered M5S to participate in the drafting of bills or the choice of candidates for electoral votes. " It's a system designed for a horizontal and spontaneous movement like yours and we'll be happy if you want to use it, " writes Luigi Di Maio again.

The mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi won the municipal election in 2016 after being selected via the Internet by activists in a final between a dozen candidates, all unknown to the general public. But some voices protest against the lack of transparency of the platform and to be under the control of a society, created by one of the founders of the M5S, Roberto Casaleggio, theorist of direct democracy and slayer of representative democracy.

In his letter, Luigi Di Maio also invites the "yellow vests" to make " common front " with his movement for " the new Europe that is being born ", " a Europe capable of representing the interests not of the elites but of the people ". " You, the yellow vests, do not falter! He says in conclusion.