Italy: Far-right leader Meloni set to become first woman PM
Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni is set to become the first woman prime minister of Italy and succeed Mario Draghi after scoring a clear victory in Sunday's general election. Reports say the 45-year-old will head the most right-wing Italian government since World War II. As Italy elects its eighth government in 11 years, how will Meloni, who emerged from the political fringes, lead the nation?
Why does this story matter?
Meloni's Brothers of Italy party has allied with the far-right and known anti-immigrant leader Matteo Salvini and former PM Silvio Berlusconi. According to BBC, her party has roots in a post-war movement that emerged out of known dictator Benito Mussolini's fascism. She has often focused on the ideals of the "natural family" and "secure borders" while rejecting "LGBT lobbies, gender ideology, and Islamist violence."
This is a starting point, says Meloni
According to Italian public broadcaster RAI's projections, Meloni's alliance claimed about 43% of the votes, guaranteeing it at least 114 seats in the Senate—10 more than the required majority. While Meloni vociferously campaigned against Mario Draghi's "technocratic administration," she reportedly doesn't have much experience in governance. "This is a starting point. And tomorrow we will have to show what we are worth," she said.
Here's more about Meloni's political career
Emerging as a far-right activist in the 1990s, Meloni became popular for her fiery attacks against immigrants, LGBTQ+ groups, and the European Union. From just 4% in 2018, her party managed to win over 25% of the vote this year, reports said. Meloni has reassured voters that she will continue Italy's support for Ukraine and keep the nation's debt under control as well.
Italy on the edge of an economic crisis
According to reports, Meloni will be taking over Italy during perilous times. The nation is set to face an energy crisis due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Moreover, the interest rates of Italy's 10-year bonds with the European Central Bank have gone up by 4.3%. She may purportedly even revise Draghi's spending plan of COVID-19 recovery funds received from the European Union.
Meloni set to become first woman PM
The general election's final result is yet to be announced, but it is almost certain that Meloni will be nominated as the first woman PM by President Sergio Mattarella after a discussion with party leaders. Reports say the process could take weeks. Moreover, Italy's new Parliament will meet on October 13, a first since it was downsized to 400 house lawmakers and 200 senators.
Alliance may be riddled with tensions
Milan University's political science professor Giorgia Serughetti told Bloomberg, "It won't be long before the government will be tested by internal tensions." Highlighting the low votes against Meloni's ally Salvini, who had pitched himself as the PM in 2019, Serughetti said, "The poor support...was not expected. We should get ready for a government led by Meloni, but with a high degree of internal turbulence."
