ITALIANS WILL GO TO THE POLLS today in an election that will likely result in the election of a center-right coalition led by conservative firebrand Giorgia Meloni.
Victory would mean that Meloni, who is president of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, would become Italy’s first-ever female leader in a government featuring former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and the former hard-line interior minister Matteo Salvini.
Having risen to prominence on the back of fiery speeches that belie her small stature, Meloni is unlike many of Europe’s supposedly conservative politicians in that she means business. A strong social conservative, her political positions include ending illegal immigration, opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage, supporting nuclear families, staunch Euroscepticism, expanding free speech laws, and reducing the size of the state.
Although the result is not guaranteed, bookmakers are rating Meloni’s chances at between 98-99 percent. With its enormous cultural heritage and considerable economic clout, Italy’s shift to what liberal elites refer to as the “far-right” may threaten the European Union and the strength of the globalist projects.
Yet critics of Meloni should take comfort in the chaos that is Italy’s political system. Governments typically do not last and as such, they struggle to implement radical reform. Since 1945 and the end of WWII, Italy has had 69 governments, an average of one every 1.11 years. Furthermore, Meloni will likely be tempered by her coalition partners, most notably Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party which is considered a moderating force.
Like most of Europe, Italy has been hit hard by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the economic impact of nearly 18 months of coronavirus lockdowns, with most economists warning of an impending debt crisis. Whatever happens on Sunday, the coming months and years are certain to be challenging for this southern European nation.
Ben Kew is English Editor of El American. He studied politics and modern languages at the University of Bristol where he developed a passion for the Americas and anti-communist movements. He previously worked as a national security correspondent for Breitbart News. He has also written for The Spectator, Spiked, PanAm Post, and The Independent
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Ben Kew es editor en inglés de El American. Estudió política y lenguas modernas en la Universidad de Bristol, donde desarrolló una pasión por las Américas y los movimientos anticomunistas. Anteriormente trabajó como corresponsal de seguridad nacional para Breitbart News. También ha escrito para The Spectator, Spiked, PanAm Post y The Independent.