The Brothers of Italy – Fratelli d’Italia in Italian – has completely overshadowed the other big party of the Right, The League. The reversal of fortune is impressive. In the 2019 European Parliament elections, the League received 34 percent of the vote, but that has now dropped to just 15 percent. The two parties agreed that whichever party gets the most votes should have the upper hand in forming a government, which means that Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the Brothers of Italy, could be the first female prime minister of Italy. She vehemently denies being an extremist and avoids any reference to fascism and Italy’s dark totalitarian past under Benito Mussolini.
Meloni was strongly opposed to welcoming more immigrants
In an interview published on Friday, she was asked if her early membership in Movimento Sociale, the successor to the fascist party, was a key factor in her identity. “It simply came to our notice then. Anyone who has a minimum of common sense and spiritual honesty can not seriously claim that I am a danger to democracy. “Everyone may not agree with my suggestions, but they are respectable and must be respected.” It is unclear what exactly these proposals are. Like the League, it is strongly opposed to accepting more migrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa. Her dog whistle for “La Patria” or Motherland is considered hostile to integration and multiculturalism. While she avoids fascist symbols, she has often been associated with supporters who deify Mussolini and are not afraid to salute the fascists with hard weapons at rallies. The Brothers of Italy managed to overtake the Lega in part because the latter decided to join the broad governing coalition led by Prime Minister Mario Draghi, thus endangering its independence. The Italian brothers, on the other hand, emerged as the only opposition party in the country and were able to claim that it maintained its integrity.
The League leader was hurt by the pro-Moscow stance
Both parties have softened their positions on Europe and neither is calling for Italy to leave the EU or the euro. Matteo Salvini, the leader of the League, has been damaged by his stance in favor of Moscow.
