Giorgia Meloni voted very late. It was already dark by the time she got to the polling place, lit by the flash of her camera and phone. The spotlight has found her.
Four years ago, Miss Meloni and her Brotherhood of Italy party were also eliminated in the last general election. Now, they are the biggest party and she will definitely be anointed as the country’s next prime minister – the first woman in Italyhistory to get the job.
Italy will shift to the right. The question is how far, and to answer that, you have to try to figure out what kind of person Ms. Meloni is – and what she isn’t.
First, let’s be clear – she’s not a fascist. Yes, her party’s emblem is a fascination from its fascist roots and yes, the teenage Meloni once expressed her admiration for Mussolini’s leadership qualities.
But no, she’s not a fascist, an overstatement.
She has strong far-right views – for example, she is socially conservative, opposes the adoption of children by same-sex couples, and idealizes the strong and supportive Italian family unit model. classic household. In contrast, she was raised by a single mother and says she was bullied as a child.
She links illegal immigration to crime and prostitution, says she’s against “wake-up politics,” protests about the impact of globalism, and devised “Made in Italy” as a slogan. sign of populism at home.
But is her brand of politics truly extreme or even unusual? As we talked, she told me she admired Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. She has forged friendly links with the American Republican party and wants to move closer to the British Conservatives. Like Liz Truss, she sees the tax cut as an important first step in proving her credentials.
And, like the British prime minister, she will have to find a way to pay for that large sum. That’s a problem for Ms. Truss, but a much bigger problem for Ms. Meloni – Italy’s national debt is already around 150% of GDP.
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Who is Giorgia Meloni?
Ms. Meloni spoke of building infrastructure as a form of economic stimulus, improving training programs for youth and said she would maintain Italy’s support for Ukraine. None of those plans are really going to scare anyone.
She even forged an unlikely friendship with outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who gave her his thoughts on how to manage the Italian economy and maintain the relationship. nice with the European Union. It is hard to imagine Mr. Draghi, still a hugely popular figure, offering a helping hand to someone he considers a danger to the nation.
Ms. Meloni casts her vote at a polling station in Rome
Read more: Who is Giorgia Meloni?
The truth is, she’s hard to stop. At some demonstrations, she can be angry with the world; in others, soft and optimistic. When I spoke to her earlier this week, Ms. Meloni told me she considers herself a centre-right politician and stressed that the only people who should fear her are rival politicians on the wing. describe. Sure, she’s closer to the center than her fire brand alliance partner, Matteo Salvini.
Managing the intrigues of Mr. Salvini, who will want to take over as interior minister and thus make his mark on immigration, will be one of her main challenges. She will also have to control another of her union partners, Silvio Berlusconi, who is about to celebrate his 86th birthday and remains a performer of Italian politics.
But Mrs. Meloni will do all this from a position of strength. The Italian public is fed up with most of its politicians, as shown by the disappointment that marked this election campaign and the dismal vote that followed – the worst in Italian history.
The Five Stars movement, which once seemed disruptive, has suffered a drop in popularity and widespread outrage that Draghi, who is not affiliated with any party, has been forced out of his job. .
The nation’s left wing failed to offer a convincing coalition or vision.
Matteo Salvini, Silvio Berlusconi and Giorgia Meloni at the end of the campaign (LR). Photo: AP
That means, despite having up to 12 parties to choose from, many Italians have come to the conclusion that they don’t really want any of them, and so they stay home.
But one group that seems enthusiastic to vote are those who want Ms. Meloni and her right-wing coalition. Voter turnout in the north, traditionally conservative, is higher than in the south, where there is a tendency to vote for leftist parties.
Italy’s famously complicated political process will now follow its course, before Ms Meloni is appointed prime minister and leaves to fulfill her promise.
Then we’ll find out what path she’s going down – a populist like Viktor Orban, intent on more control than ever; a pugilist such as Poland’s Mateusz Morawiecki, or a more familiar conservative voice like Liz Truss? Or something else entirely?
Much speculation, praise, criticism and rumor has been written about Mrs. Meloni, and rightly so. She will lead one of the wealthiest and most influential countries in the world – a G7 member and the third largest economy in the EU. Italy matters, so it’s true that we wonder what kind of person Mrs. Meloni really is. Now, in the coming months, we will find out.
