In Italy, there were some shocking election results yesterday. It was not so shocking in terms of what the pundits expected, as much as it is shocking that Italy has just elected it's most extreme rightwing government since World War II, and the days when this nation was ruled by Benito Mussolini.
In the process, Italy also elected it's first woman, Giorgia Meloni,into the highest political office in the land. Indeed, she evidently will be Italy's next Prime Minister.
Yet, that historical event is a bit overshadowed by the nature of the extremist government that she is expected to lead with. Meloni is the head of the Fratelli d'Italia. She has been described as a populist, with some similarities to Donald Trump. She has long been anti-immigration, and has shown skepticism towards the European Union. She also emphasizes Italian nationalist identity, and has been seen as sympathetic to white nationalism.
Really, politics in western Europe made this kind of breakthrough feel almost inevitable. It was not so much a matter of if somebody like this would gain power, but where and when it would happen. She has some similarities to Viktor Orbán in Hungary (still in power) or Jörg Haider in Austria.
Let's see what happens next.
Giorgia Meloni appears set to become Italy’s most far-right prime minister since Mussolini Kara Fox Antonia Mortensen By Kara Fox, Barbie Latza Nadeau, Antonia Mortensen, Nicola Ruotolo and Sharon Braithwaite, CNN Updated 10:16 PM EDT, Sun September 25, 2022:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/25/europe/italy-election-results-intl/index.html
September 22, 2022 Could Italy become Europe’s newest problem child? by Ilva Tare and Akshat Dhankher September 22, 2022:
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/could-italy-become-europes-newest-problem-child/
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