Italy: Meloni Wins Confidence Vote, Condemns Fascism
Facts
- On Tuesday, Italy's new Premier Giorgia Meloni won the first of two required confidence votes by a 40-vote margin in the lower Chamber of Deputies as her right-wing coalition garnered 235 votes. On Wednesday, the new government will face an election in the Senate where it also holds a substantial majority.
- This comes hours after she condemned fascism, stating that Mussolini's racial laws in 1938 were "the worst moment in Italian history," and vowed to fight against racism, antisemitism, and discrimination in her opening address to parliament.
- Meloni also pointed out her commitment to European integration, stating that her government will "respect the rules currently in force" in the EU while working to change those that allegedly haven't worked to promote "greater effectiveness" in Europe.
- Regarding migration, Meloni reinforced her aim to interdict migrant boats crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa. Italy has been a focal point for irregular migrants heading to Europe, with more than 77K people having arrived in the country so far this year.
- The defense of "traditional" family units and values, support for Ukraine against Russia, and the promise to fight organized crime were other key issues in Italy's first female PM's inaugural speech.
- As Italy faces soaring inflation and risks being pushed to recession next year, Meloni's coalition has promoted a program of tax cuts while emphasizing fiscal prudence as the country's soaring debt is worth 150% of its Gross Domestic Product.
Sources: ABC, Politico, Washington Post, BBC News, Euro, and Al Jazeera.
Narratives
- Left narrative, as provided by The Guardian. Europe must keep a close eye on Italy's far-right, as history has shown that what happens in Rome is soon replicated abroad. And it's hard to find a worse prospect than several Meloni-like leaders coming to power across Europe. Though she acts as if she's a political moderate, Meloni evokes the rhetoric of fascism, is inspired by Hungary's Orbán, and has an ambiguous approach to Putin.
- Right narrative, as provided by The Washington Examiner. Despite claims from the mainstream left, Meloni isn't a far-right politician — let alone the second coming Mussolini. She embraces mainstream cultural values and common sense, representing a risk only to radical, globalist leftists who have dragged down Italy for years and infiltrated the EU. Meloni can influence the world to decisively reject left-wing orthodoxy.