Italy has elected its first female prime minister – ushering in a new right-wing government.
Giorgia Meloni is the leader of the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI), a party known for its slogan “God, family, fatherland” and its pro-nativist views.
Meloni’s win on Sept. 25 is indicative of her party’s rapid rise in popularity. During the last general election in 2018, the FdI secured 4% of the vote. This year they won with 26%.
“We must remember that we are not at the end point, we are at the starting point. It is from tomorrow that we must prove our worth,” Meloni said at a rally in the early hours of Sept. 26.
Meloni, 45, has championed traditional family values and opposed gender ideology and the “LGBT lobby.”
She is strongly opposed to migration, advocating for naval blockades to stop illegal immigration from Africa and increased border security. She also denounced the nation’s left-wing government for financing “the invasion to replace Italians with immigrants” and pushed for policies that would encourage Italians to have more children to combat the nation’s declining birthrate, per NBC News.
“If we are called to govern this nation, we will do it for everyone, we will do it for all Italians and we will do it with the aim of uniting the people,” Meloni said during her victory speech. “Italy chose us. We will not betray it as we never have.”
“We are ready to revive Italy,” she added.
The FdI will lead Italy’s first right-wing collation government since World War II, joined by The League and Forza Italia. Altogether the parties amassed 44% of the vote. Election results indicated the coalition government will control both the upper and lower houses of parliament.
The center-left Democratic Party and its allied parties collectively received 26%.
“While Italian media usually describes FdI as ‘centre-right’ or just right-wing, international media often refers to FdI specifically as a ‘post-fascist’ party,” reports The Local. “The party has never been in power at a national level, and its election manifesto is vague, so there’s not a lot of policy to judge the party on – but overall it’s clear that FdI holds a strongly conservative, nativist position and any future policies it enacts if in government would no doubt align with this.”
Meloni has denied that her party advocates for fascism.
Right-wing ideology has become increasingly popular in other European nations.
“Meloni is chair of the right-wing European Conservative and Reformist group in the European Parliament, which gathers her Brothers of Italy, Poland’s Law and Justice Party, Spain’s Vox and the Sweden Democrats, which just won big in elections there on a platform of cracking down on crime and limiting immigration,” notes The New York Post.
Under Meloni’s leadership, Italy is expected to remain pro-NATO and continue to support Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
“Turnout was a historic low 64%,” reports USA Today. “Pollsters suggested voters stayed home in protest, disenchanted by the backroom deals that had created the last three governments.”
The former Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, tendered his resignation in July moving the general election up by roughly six months.
Draghi took office in February 2021 and led a unilateral coalition comprising both left, center, and right-wing political parties. The prime minister found he was unable to get enough support for significant legislation and felt he was unable to govern effectively.
“The loyalty agreement that was the foundation of my government has gone missing. The majority of national unity that has sustained this government from its creation doesn’t exist anymore,” Draghi said in a statement before his resignation.
Draghi will stay on in a caretaker capacity until the government formally transitions.
