On September 25th, Italy will hold a historic election. In a country where machismo has long dominated the political climate, an unlikely character is poised to be appointed as prime minister: a middle-aged single mother. While many would expect this to be a widely celebrated occurrence, some within the European Union and the international community are looking on with concern. Giorgia Meloni, likely to be Italy’s first female head of state, leads Fratelli d’Italia (FdI), the party descended from the Movimento Sociale Italiano (MSI); the post-war party created by the supporters of Benito Mussolini. Meloni’s FdI, in unison with Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia (FI) and Matteo Salvini’s Lega (LSP), will lead the right-wing coalition expected to win-handily.
Meloni’s likely ascension to primer, like most occurrences in Italian politics, presents various levels of complexity for U.S. and EU policy. Meloni is staunchly pro-NATO and has asserted her desire for Italy to be more assertive on the international stage. She has argued for Italy to send more weapons and support to Ukraine, while also calling for a review of Italy’s participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative; a policy she believes is not in Italy’s best interest. Meloni’s assertive “patriotic” economics is likely to give EU officials in Brussels a headache, but access to the €800bn EU Covid fund is a good tool to encourage Italian compliance. At the same time, Meloni’s domestic policies are a primary concern, specifically regarding her anti-immigrant rhetoric and calling for a return of Italian “traditional” values. Meloni faces a daunting task if she becomes Italy’s primer, balancing a fragile economy while also plagued by the great bane of every Italian politician: keeping opportunist politicians from collapsing the coalition government.
Questions and Background
- What is Italy’s grand strategy?
- Italy views itself as a Mediterranean power whose “head is in Europe, but feet are in Africa.” What role can Italy play in the Mediterranean and North Africa to strengthen NATO’s position?
- What are the short-term and long-term implications of a far-right Italy on U.S. European policy? How should U.S. policymakers thing about it?
- Does a stable and united EU serve U.S. foreign policy interests?
Italy’s Election Paradox
Elettra Ardissino and Erik Jones. Foreign Affairs. September 21, 2022.
Russian Propaganda Finds a Home in Italian Media
Danielle Pletka. Foreign Policy. September 13, 2022.
Giorgia Meloni’s interview with The Washington Post
Chico Harlan and Stefano Pitrelli. The Washington Post. September 13, 2022.
Italy’s Meloni promises to defy Chinese and Russian expansionist ambitions
Angelo Amante et al. Reuters. August 25, 2022.