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Giorgia Meloni: Political Force in Italy & Won Over Many Heads of Europe


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In June 2024, Giorgia Meloni found herself at the center of global attention as she hosted the G7 summit in Apulia, southern Italy. Her vibrant performance, dancing to the traditional pizzica, symbolized the confidence of a rising political leader. Just days after a strong showing in the European elections, Meloni was emerging as one of Europe’s most prominent figures, a remarkable transformation for a politician who was once relegated to the fringes as the head of the small right-wing party, Brothers of Italy.

 

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Meloni's journey to respectability has been nothing short of impressive, winning over centrist parties in the EU and even receiving a warm welcome at the White House from Joe Biden. Her ability to navigate the complexities of European politics, while maintaining close ties to controversial leaders like Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, has baffled critics. Many, like author Roberto Saviano, labeled her a threat, calling her a “danger to Italy and the rest of Europe.” Yet Meloni has displayed a pragmatic streak, working with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and supporting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia—positions that deviate from the traditional pro-Putin sentiments of Europe’s right.

 

Despite her success on the international stage, Meloni’s domestic challenges have exposed the undercurrents of her party’s origins. A scandal involving members of her party’s youth wing chanting fascist slogans and making racist remarks forced her to confront the lingering associations with Italy’s fascist past. She quickly condemned the behavior, calling it “completely incompatible” with Brothers of Italy’s platform. Critics like Giuseppe Provenzano of the Democratic Party accused her of hiding the true face of her party. However, others, including opposition member Roberto Giachetti, rejected the notion that Meloni herself was fascist.

 

The ambiguity in Meloni’s politics, often referred to as “doppiezza” or doubleness, is a defining feature of her leadership. On one hand, she presents herself as a moderate on economic and foreign policy, yet on social issues like immigration and family policy, she strikes a more conservative, right-wing tone. Her campaign slogan, “We defend God, Fatherland, and Family,” echoes Italy’s fascist past, but she insists it also harkens back to Giuseppe Mazzini, a hero of Italy’s unification.

 

Rather than focus on whether Meloni’s party is truly fascist, it may be more relevant to view her as a populist leader responding to modern challenges. She has tapped into widespread fears about immigration, global capitalism, and secularism, positioning herself as a defender of Italy’s traditional values. This appeal resonated with international leaders, such as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who sought her advice on immigration policy despite objections from within his own Labour Party.

 

Fabrizio Barca, an economist, situates Meloni within a broader neo-authoritarian trend sweeping Europe. He argues that decades of neoliberal policies, which have hollowed out social protections and exacerbated inequality, have created fertile ground for strong, charismatic leaders. Meloni’s success, much like Donald Trump’s in the U.S., lies in her ability to defend traditional identities rather than disrupt the economic status quo.

 

Despite the controversies surrounding her, Meloni remains a skilled and disciplined politician. Her rise to power has been strategic, with Brothers of Italy growing from a minor player with just 2% of the vote to becoming Italy’s largest party with 26%. Unlike other right-wing leaders, she has carefully distanced herself from extreme factions such as Alternative for Germany, positioning herself as a mainstream conservative.

 

Meloni’s political persona is built on a duality that resonates with different audiences. To the EU and international community, she is a moderate; on the campaign trail, she is a populist firebrand. She has cultivated an image of a tough yet relatable leader, emphasizing her working-class roots and using her first name, Giorgia, to connect with voters. As she wrote in her autobiography, “I am proud of being a woman of the people.”

 

Meloni’s life story reflects her political complexity. Raised by a single mother in a working-class neighborhood, she was shaped by her early involvement with the far-right Movimento Sociale Italiano (MSI). Although she has distanced herself from the party’s fascist roots, she still carries with her the experiences of being part of a counterculture that felt embattled by Italy’s dominant left-wing politics.

 

Ultimately, the question of whether Meloni is a closet fascist or a conservative democrat may not matter. What is clear is that she is a politician adept at navigating the shifting tides of modern politics, both in Italy and on the global stage. As she continues to shape her image, the world will watch closely to see which version of Giorgia Meloni emerges next.

 

Credit: The Guardian 2024-09-20

 

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23 minutes ago, AndreasHG said:

 

Meloni, unlike Trump, has followed a coherent political path, firmly located on the right of the political spectrum, evolving from neo-fascism, which she enthusiastically embraced as a young woman in the late 90s, to her current social conservatism. Her priorities have always been Italy first, Europe second, and the rest of the world somewhere far behind.

Unlike Trump, who loves bombastic proclamations, disdains details, has no strategic or even tactical vision, confuses real leadership with playing as a leader in a TV-show, does not care about concrete results, and is grossly unfit to lead the United States of America, Meloni is all action and little talk.

She is focused on tangible results, and she is ready to pragmatically pursue them, working with anyone, no matter their background or political opinions.

As published by a number of media outlets (Politico, BBC, Time Magazine, etc.) Meloni still enjoyes an approval rating above 40%, "improbably high for an Italian PM two years into the job". Not a small feat, considering that, since the end of World War II, Italy has had 69 governments, at an average of one every 1.11 years.

 

Imo that's a pretty fair summary.

 

And TBF to Italy, the rate at which they replace governments has slowed. In the '70s and '80s they appeared to install a new government every 1.11 months!😁

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7 hours ago, mfd101 said:

An impressive woman. Fascinating to watch her operate.

 

Absolutely. 

 

She'd run rings around Starmer. 

 

Great to see strong female leaders like her and Le Pen sticking it to metro simps like Macron and Starmer. 

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She is solving Europe's largest problem: it must appear to adhere to its human rights reputation and norms but also solve the problem of low-quality resource- extractive migrants from Africa.

 

By exporting the human rights abuses to the North African countries, like Pontius Pilate, Europe can wipe her hands clean of the abuses, leaving the messy work of beating up migrants to large, squalid Italian-funded camps mostly in Tunisia. And anyone who can make it to Italy will get sent to Albania.

 

As it is, Europeans continue to display remarkably high levels of tolerance to outsiders. 

 

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If you want to appreciate just how remarkably high the tolerance levels are, you should compare them with the figures for Thailand or any countries in Asia. Typical worldwide surveys on this topic usually ask "would you be comfortable with a foreigner living next door?" 

 

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