Giorgia Meloni and the Shift to the Right in Italy: An Analysis Five Months After the Election

Massimiliano Livi und Christian Jansen in: Leviathan, 51. Jg., 2/2023, S. 169 – 185, DOI: 10.5771/0340-0425-2023-2-169

In September 2022, Italy elected Giorgia Meloni as the new Prime Minister, making her the first female politician to hold this position. Meloni, who belongs to the far-right wing, similar to Le Pen, began her political career in the youth movement of the post-fascist Italian Social Movement. She founded the party Fratelli d’Italia, which carries on the legacy of this movement. Examining the first five months of Meloni’s government, Massimiliano Livi and Christian Jansen arrive at an ambivalent judgment. Initially, Meloni’s government presents a moderate face. She continues the economic policies set by Mario Draghi, implements fewer legislative initiatives compared to previous administrations during the same period, and displays a more constructive approach within the European Union than anticipated. However, Meloni fails to clearly distance herself from fascism. With her election, Europe has taken a significant step towards the right. Livi and Jansen are not surprised by Meloni’s victory, as it aligns with the political developments in Italy, which have been dominated by center-right governments for several years. In this context, the far-right has transformed from a neo-fascist “outcast” into an accepted coalition partner.

Massimiliano Livi
Christian Jansen
Giorgia Meloni und der Rechtsruck in Italien: Eine Analyse fünf Monate nach der Wahl

doi.org/10.5771/0340-0425-2023-2-169
ISSN print: 0340-0425
ISSN online: 0340-0425
Nomos, Baden-Baden