Very circumspect at first in the face of the rise to power of the extreme right in Italy, the European Union (EU) said it was ready to “cooperate” with the eurosceptic government of Giorgia Meloni, who was sworn in on Saturday October 22 and is due to take office on Sunday.
“Congratulations to Giorgia Meloni on her appointment as Prime Minister, the first woman to hold this position, tweeted European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. I am counting on constructive cooperation with the new government, in the face of the challenges that we must face together”.
“Let’s work together for the good of Italy and the EU”, for his part wrote the President of the European Council, Charles Michel. “Europe needs Italy. Together we will overcome all difficulties”added the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, in a tweet written in Italian. These reactions in chorus of the three main European institutions contrasted with the silence of the major capitals Berlin, Paris and Madrid.
The very conservative Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, a pet peeve of Brussels, was one of the only European leaders to congratulate Mme Meloni, saluting “a great day for the European right”. The European far right was also at the party: “Across Europe, patriots are coming to power and with them, this Europe of nations that we are calling for”rejoiced in France Marine Le Pen.
Beneath the gilding of the Roman Quirinal Palace, Mme Meloni and his 24 ministers – including only 6 women – have “sworn to respect the Constitution and the laws” in front of President Sergio Mattarella. “Here is the government team which, with pride and a sense of responsibility, will serve Italy. Now to work »then wrote the new Prime Minister in a tweet accompanied by the official government photo. The transfer of power between Mario Draghi and Giorgia Meloni will take place on Sunday morning at Palazzo Chigi, the seat of government, and will be followed by the first Council of Ministers.
The 45-year-old Roman, who won a historic victory in the Italian legislative elections on September 25, succeeded in demonizing her post-fascist party Fratelli d’Italia to come to power exactly a century after the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, of whom she was a member. admirer. She has with her coalition partners, the populist leader of the Antimigrant League, Matteo Salvini, and the declining leader of Forza Italia, Silvio Berlusconi, an absolute majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
Reassure Rome’s partners
The composition of the new government reflects the desire to reassure Rome’s partners, worried about the coming to power in Italy, the founding country of Europe, of the most right-wing and eurosceptic head of government since 1946.
Before the elections, Mr.me von der Leyen had also caused an outcry in Italy by evoking the instruments available to Brussels to sanction possible attacks on the democratic principles of the EU in the event of a victory for the far right.
The appointment to Foreign Affairs, with the title of Deputy Prime Minister, of the former President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani, a member of Forza Italia, and that of Giancarlo Giorgetti, a representative of the moderate wing of the League, already Minister in the outgoing government of Mario Draghi, to the economy, should reassure Brussels.
At a time when the third largest economy in the euro zone is facing, like its neighbours, a difficult economic situation due to the energy crisis and inflation, the task of Mme Meloni promises to be difficult, especially since she will have to ensure the unity of her coalition, which is already showing cracks. MM. Salvini and Berlusconi are reluctant to accept the authority of Giorgia Meloni, whose party won 26% of the vote in the elections, against only 8% for Forza Italia and 9% for the League. The media have echoed the multiple passes of arms between the three leaders on the distribution of positions in Parliament and in the government.
Herself an Atlanticist and in favor of supporting Ukraine against Russia, Mme Meloni had to face this week the polemical remarks of Mr. Berlusconi, who claimed to have “renewed” with Vladimir Putin and blamed kyiv for the war. Declarations of the worst effect which forced the new head of government to rectify the situation on Wednesday by affirming that Italy is doing “fully gone and head held high” of Europe and NATO. A talented speaker, this conservative Christian hostile to LGBT rights has however promised not to touch the law authorizing abortion. Above all, his government will have to focus on the many challenges, mainly economic, that await him, starting with inflation and a colossal debt representing 150% of gross domestic product (GDP), the highest ratio in the euro zone. after Greece.