Meloni taps into Italy’s mood

Apprehensions about the victory in Italy of a right-wing party with roots dating back to Benito Mussolini are understandable. Giorgia Meloni, 45, leader of the Brothers of Italy party, is set to become the country’s first female prime minister. In the campaign, she changed perceptions of the three-party conservative alliance that won 41 to 45 per cent of the vote and will control both houses of parliament. In the past year, Ms Meloni has ditched her longstanding admiration of Mussolini, insisting the Italian right long ago consigned fascism “to history”.

She also retreated from her previous position favouring dissolution of the EU, insisting Italy belongs to Europe. She has declared strong support for NATO and Western alliances. In the campaign, Ms Meloni was unwavering in supporting Ukraine’s right to defend itself against Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Doing so could not have been easy given the close ties between the Russian tyrant and her political partners – Matteo Salvini, 49, of the far-right League party and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, 85, leader of the centre-right Forza Italia. Mr Salvini has a shirt emblazoned with an image of Mr Putin and in 2017 signed a political co-operation deal with his United Russia party. He is highly critical of Italy’s support for sanctions against Russia and their impact on Italy’s economy. Mr Berlusconi also supports Mr Putin, giving the tyrant a bed cover with an image of them shaking hands. Last week he defended Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

On Sunday, Ms Meloni’s Brothers of Italy emerged as the strongest party with 25 per cent of the vote, ahead of the centre-left Democratic Party with 19 per cent. She needs Mr Salvini’s League, which won 10.5 per cent, and Mr Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, with 7 per cent, to govern. Italy’s economy is in a dire state, with government debt 150 per cent of gross domestic product. Maintaining support for sanctions against Russia will be difficult. But Ms Meloni is a formidable politician, tapping into issues that resonate with voters. Her promise to crack down on illegal migration from North Africa by launching a naval blockade of Libyan ports tapped into anger over a wave of migration that started in 2015 and never stopped. She has been outspoken against the “woke” left. “Yes to the natural family, no to LGBTQ lobbies. Yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology,” she said in July. In 2019, her rallying cry, “I am Giorgia, I’m a woman, I’m a mother, I’m Italian, I’m Christian”, was scorned. Increasing her vote from 4 per cent in 2018 to 25 per cent on Sunday reflects how the electorate has changed. In a nation in which governments survive an average of 400 days, she faces a vast challenge.