By: Ryann Rodney
On September 25th, 2022, Italy made history by electing Giorgia Meloni, its most far-right leader since Benito Mussolini in 1922. Meloni is an Italian politician and journalist known for her nonconformist views, such as bashing the European Union and international banks and restricting who crosses the Italian border.
Giorgia Meloni is the leader of the nationalist Brothers of Italy, a political party formed by the remnants of fascism post-World War II. The political party was formed in 2012 by Meloni, Ignazio La Russa, and Guido Crosetto after splitting off from a different right-leaning party called the People of Freedom (PdL). The PdL is a direct descendant of the National Fascist Party formed by Mussolini.
The Brothers of Italy’s main value lies in nativism, a political policy that promotes or protects the interests of native peoples over those of immigrants, including support for immigration control measures. The party also favors a confederate Europe over a federal one. A confederate European Union would essentially strip the countries of relations they have built over the last seventy years and replace it with a simple peace treaty.
A simple peace treaty wouldn’t be enough for Meloni, as she has publicly supported Ukraine in their ongoing war with Russia. She wants to continue to aid and supply Ukraine and has criticized the sanctions put on Russia despite partners in her coalition publicly expressing their deep admiration for Putin.
Meloni’s win is only a fraction of a trend. Politically, Europe is growing to be more far-right. The economic impact of COVID-19 and the war on Ukraine has caused high national debt and significant levels of inflation, damaging centrist parties across Europe. Italy, France, Spain, and Sweden are some of the more prominent countries in this trend. Italy is potentially setting the tone for the future of Europe; it has the third biggest economy and population in the EU. With other countries seeming to follow, the majority of the EU thus far is not in favor.
Political tension is rising quite quickly, and with tension comes unrest. Changes in the longevity of the EU lie in the next elections in its member states.
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