The right-wing camp triumphed in the elections in Italy - to the great delight of the right-wing in Europe. "A good day for Europe," says the AfD. Parts of the EU see things very differently and fear a "catastrophe for Europe".
After the electoral success of the alliance around the right-wing party Fratelli d'Italia, right-wing parties in Europe are celebrating. Politicians from the German AfD, the right-wing national Rassemblement National from France and the Polish PiS congratulated party leader Giorgia Meloni.
"We're celebrating with Italy!" Wrote AfD member of parliament Beatrix von Storch on Twitter late on Sunday evening. Her party colleague Malte Kaufmann tweeted: "A good day for Italy - a good day for Europe." Right-wing parties see themselves on the upswing after a recent shift to the right in Sweden.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki wrote on Twitter "Congratulations @Giorgia Meloni". French MEP Jordan Bardella from Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National wrote on Twitter that the Italians had given EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen "a lesson in humility". The German politician said last week that her agency had "tools" if Italy, under a right-wing government, failed to comply with EU rules. "No threat of any kind can stop democracy," wrote the RN party leader. "The peoples of Europe lift up their heads and take their fate back into their own hands."
Projections see the Fratelli as clearly the strongest force - as party leader, Meloni could therefore become the first head of government in Italy. With the right-wing populist Lega and the conservative Forza Italia, she is likely to get an absolute majority of seats in parliament. The Melonis party is one of the successor parties to the MSI movement, which was founded by former officials of the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini after the end of World War II. Meloni is committed to the roots of her party and does not condemn fascism outright. In the logo, the Fratelli d'Italia, founded in 2012, use a flame reminiscent of Mussolini and which is a symbol of the right. Meloni says she's "proud" of it.
Parts of the EU, on the other hand, are looking south with concern - also because of the Ukraine war, in which the member states are struggling for unity. Meloni's "election campaign tactical lip service for Europe" cannot hide the fact that she poses a threat to constructive cooperation in Europe, Katharina Barley from the SPD, Vice-President of the EU Parliament, told the "Welt". The spokesman for the German Greens in the EU Parliament, Rasmus Andresen, said that the "unprecedented Italian shift to the right" would have a massive impact on Europe and the European Union.
The co-head of the European Greens, the Austrian Thomas Waitz, told the "world" that the EU could only function if it stuck together, for example in cooperation on the energy markets, in decisions on sanctions against Russia or in dealing with the Corona Crisis. "Meloni, on the other hand, would go it alone nationally, it could be a disaster for Europe." Under Prime Minister Meloni, there would also be a great danger that Italy would slide back into a debt crisis. Then the entire euro area would come under pressure.
Meloni always emphasizes her support for Russia's attacked Ukraine, and she is considered pro-Western and pro-NATO on foreign policy. However, she is also known for her criticism of the institutions in Brussels. Your ally, Lega boss Salvini, also publicly doubts the effectiveness of the sanctions against Russia, making the EU jointly responsible for the dramatic increase in energy costs.
During the election campaign, Meloni tried to allay concerns abroad about a right-wing government takeover and assured that Italy would remain a reliable partner. She also rejected the fact that an election victory for the Fratelli could lead to an authoritarian turn or Italy's exit from the European Union and the common currency, the euro.
According to plan, a new parliament should not have been elected in Italy until the beginning of 2023. However, the Five Star Movement voted no confidence in Draghi on a proposed law in July, prompting him to resign. However, Draghi will remain in office until a new government is sworn in - which can take several weeks.
