He has been considered a hardline Eurosceptic politician, holding a starkly critical view of the European Union, especially of the euro. Salvini opposes illegal immigration into Italy and the EU as well as the EU's management of asylum seekers. He is also considered one of the main leaders of the populist wave which shook Europe during 2010s and a member of the neo-nationalist movement, which has a rightist ideology that emphasizes de-globalization, nativist and protectionist stances.[4][5]