Italy: Meloni on the verge of becoming Prime Minister

Giorgia Meloni, whose post-fascist party Fratelli d’Italia won a historic victory in legislative elections, will be officially named prime minister on Friday, becoming Italy’s first woman to hold the post.

The 45-year-old Roman, who came to power exactly a century after Mussolini “demonized” his party, was due to be greeted by President Sergio Mattarella in the morning with his allies as part of the consultations. Before appointing Govt.

The consultations, which begin on Thursday and end at noon, will lead to the nomination of Ms Meloney, whose far-right ruling coalition has an absolute majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“We are ready to give Italy a government that will face the urgencies and challenges of our time with conscience and competence,” Ms Meloni tweeted on Thursday evening.

At a time when the eurozone’s third-largest economy, like its neighbors, faces a difficult economic climate due to the energy crisis and inflation, its task promises to be tough, especially managing two volatile allies: Matteo Salvini, the populist leader of the anti-immigration League, and Silvio Berlusconi, the embattled leader of Forza Italia. .

Both are reluctant to accept the mandate of Giorgia Meloni, who won 26% of the vote in the September 25 election, while Forza Italia got just 8% and the League 9%.

Mrs. Even before Maloney’s appointment, the peninsula’s media echoed several exchanges of arms between the three leaders over the allocation of positions in parliament and the future government.

Mr. Trump blamed Q for the war, saying he was an Atlanticist and “realigned” with Vladimir Putin in favor of supporting Ukraine against Russia. He had to face Berlusconi’s controversial comments this week.

– “Heads Up” –

Reports of a poor outcome for this main Eurosceptic coalition are closely followed by the presidents. Ms Meloni felt compelled to address the situation, saying on Wednesday that Italy was “fully part of Europe and NATO with its head up”.

The structure of his government must also reflect this desire to reassure Rome’s partners. Antonio Tajani, a former president of the European Parliament, is a member of Forza Italia, the foreign affairs favorite, and Giancarlo Giorgetti, a representative of the League’s moderate wing, who is already a minister in Mario Draghi’s outgoing government, is holding the reins. economy.

A gifted speaker, Mrs. Meloni, a conservative Christian with a motto of “God, Father, Country, Family” and hostile to LGBT+ rights, has nevertheless vowed not to touch the law legalizing abortion.

Mrs. Maloney and his ministers may be sworn in before the president this weekend before tackling the many challenges that await them.

Inflation on the peninsula rose to 8.9% year-on-year in September and Italy is at risk of entering a technical recession next year after Germany. Room for maneuver is limited by massive debt representing 150% of gross domestic product (GDP), the highest ratio in the euro zone after Greece.

Eurosceptic, Ms. Meloni has abandoned his campaign to leave the euro, but he has vowed to further defend his country’s interests in Brussels. The development depends on nearly 200 billion euros in grants and loans from the European Union as part of its post-pandemic recovery fund.

Caught between the hammer of her “allies” and the anvil of Brussels and the markets, Georgia Meloni appears to be on the razor’s edge even before taking office, almost a tradition in a country known for chronic government instability.