Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni delivers her speech during at an electoral rally ahead of the EU parliamentary elections that will take place in Italy on 8 and 9 June, in Rome, Saturday, June 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
As Italians join citizens from 26 other countries to elect a new European parliament, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is displaying the same political acumen and patience that saw her rise from the margins to centre stage in Italy, and transformed her into a power broker in the European Union.Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni delivers a speech during an electoral rally on June 1 in Rome, ahead of the EU parliamentary elections.
"She could be pivotal," said Lorenzo De Sio, a professor of politics at Luiss University in Rome, "instrumental in the majority in the EU parliament and reinforcing the fact that she's not so much an outlier anymore." While many of Meloni's Brothers of Italy party members are pro-Russia, Meloni herself has proven to be a stalwart supporter of Ukraine.Consequently, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission who has made it clear she will not work with Orban and the likes, says she would team up with Meloni — putting the Italian leader in position to become queenmaker.
While Meloni has hinted she may back von der Leyen, she's also deftly straddled the two sides: she still has Orban's ear, but she has also distanced herself from her party's neo-Fascist roots.While her support for Ukraine and willingness to work with the EU give her sway, observers say it also gives her a free pass to implement a political agenda at home counter to European values.
"She's Berlusconi 2.0," said Di Sio, of the late controversial former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who as a media mogul long controlled Italy's private and public broadcasters, "except she has the advantage of playing better on the international scene. In a way, she's buying external support … and more tolerance of what happens in Italy.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Will Grant New Term to Draghi Appointee at State Lender CDPItaly’s government is preparing to grant a new three-year term to state lender chief Dario Scannapieco, who was handpicked for the role by ex-Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
Read more »
Italian judge throws out defamation case brought by Meloni allyExplore stories from Atlantic Canada.
Read more »
Italian judge throws out defamation case brought by Meloni allyExplore stories from Atlantic Canada.
Read more »
Meloni Gets Warning Light as Italian Retail-Bond Demand WanesA warning light for Italy’s finances just flashed for Premier Giorgia Meloni after her government pressed ahead with a debt sale to consumers even though it knew demand would weaken.
Read more »
Pope used vulgar Italian word to refer to LGBT people, Italian newspapers reportExplore stories from Atlantic Canada.
Read more »
Pope used vulgar Italian word to refer to LGBT people, Italian newspapers reportExplore stories from Atlantic Canada.
Read more »