Giorgia Meloni's political movement won the elections in Italy and the politician could become the first female president of Italy
Photo: quirinale.it
LatinAmerican Post | Santiago Gómez Hernández
Listen to this article
Leer en español: La relación entre la ultraderechista Giorgia Meloni y Latinoamérica
Giorgia Meloni became the most powerful politician in the third European economy this weekend. His Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy) movement came out on top in the general election and gave the far-right coalition access to power.
His movement obtained 26% of the votes and ranks as the most voted force in the country. With the support of the center-right Forza Italia party and the far-right Liga, Meloni has everything to become the nation's first woman prime minister.
Also read: United States: The Visa Does Not Solve the Migration Crisis, What Is the Alternative?
Her Extremist Positions
Within the European scene, Meloni represents several of the ideals of the conservatives, but also of the extreme right. A protectionist, nationalist and anti-immigrant discourse makes many moderates fear her government.
Likewise, she defends the conservative values of the traditional family and is against abortion as a right for women, among others.
A Country that Does not Trust Its Leaders
Although the victory of the right-wing coalition means a turning point in Italian politics, the abstention shows that it also represents a collective weariness. In the recent elections, an abstention rate of 36% was recorded.
It is also the reflection of a country with a constant political and institutional crisis in recent years. The latest victim was Mario Draghi, one of the most respected Italian political figures in Europe. Draghi was unable to maintain the coalition that had sustained him in office, which he also reached after a crisis that removed Guiseppe Conte in 2021.
Italy seems to be the Peru of Europe. In the last 35 years, 23 governments have passed, of different ideologies and movements. From Giovanni Goria in 1987, which lasted only 260 days, to Silvio Berlusconi, which lasted from 2001 to 2008 (with a span of 722 days by Romano Prodi).
Now, this instability that gives power today to the Brothers of Italy, also represents the greatest weakness that their coalition government has. It will be only Meloni's skill that can keep a fragmented parliament.
Her Relationship with Latin America
Meloni is not a new figure within the panorama of the European extreme right, much less within the Hispanic panorama. Even Meloni has a characteristic that has linked her to Latin America and that will serve to strengthen the right and extreme right in the region: her command of the Spanish language. After her victory, the videos in which she shared spaces with the Spanish far-right party of VOX went viral again.
Today Meloni is the right-wing European leader closest to Latin America. Not only because of its ability to move propaganda within the American region in the same language, but also because of its direct influence on the millions of Italians who live throughout the continent.
In the last elections, 2 deputies and a senator were also elected, who will represent the Italians residing in South America. The victory went to Mario Borghese (MAIE) in the Senate and Franco Tirelli (MAIE) and Fabio Porta (PD) in the Chamber. Despite the fact that it was precisely in South America where the Forza Italia and Fratelli d'Italia coalition came in third place with only 18% of the votes, they still represent 79,414 votes with 69% abstention. However, it is evident that Meloni can find in the more than 1.5 million qualified votes in South America, a field to grow, and therefore also grow its influence in the same region.
Who better to give a political boost than a victorious politician, from the third-largest economy in Europe, with values deeply rooted in Catholic conservatism (both Italian and Latin American) and who dominates the language? The influence that Meloni can have could be even greater than what, until now, she has tried to create.
