Giorgia Meloni, leader of the Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) party, will become Italy’s first female prime minister after leading a right-wing coalition to victory in Sunday’s election.
Meloni’s party, which has fascism roots, is expected to form alliances with other far-right groups, including the League, led by former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, and Forza Italia, led by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is at the top.
As Meloni ran about putting Italians first and her staunch anti-immigration policy in her campaign, many worried about what her leadership would mean for Italians and its echo throughout the world.
Here’s how the world reacted to Meloni’s success:
France
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said France would oversee abortion and human rights in Italy after Meloni’s victory.
Borne told BFM television: “We will, together with the president of the European Commission, note that these human rights values, mutual respect, especially respect for the right to abortion, are enjoyed by all. respectful person.”
However, she declined to comment directly on Italy’s decision to give Italy’s Brotherhood a majority on Sunday.
“I will not comment on the democratic choice of the Italian people,” she said.
Meanwhile, leaders of France’s far-right party, including Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour, congratulated Meloni on his victory.
Le Pen tweeted: “The Italian people have decided to embrace their destiny by electing a patriotic and sovereign government. Congratulations @GiorgiaMeloni and @matteosalvinimi for resisting the threats of an anti-democratic and arrogant European Union by winning this great victory! “
Le peuple italien a décidé de reprendre son destin en main en élisant un gouvernement lovete et souverainiste.
Bravo ah @GiorgiaMeloni et ah @matteosalvinimi pour the first row of the Union européenne anti-démocratique and arrogance en obtenant cette grande victoire!
– Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) September 26, 2022
Germany
German politicians also expressed concern after Meloni’s victory.
Jurgen Hardt, a lawmaker and foreign policy expert with the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) – who is now in the opposition – said he was troubled by “posthumous public statements”. fascist” of Meloni and the “hair-raising stance” of her fellow brothers. of Italian party members.
“Racism and exclusion has no place in Europe,” Hardt told the DPA news agency.
“In Germany and Brussels, the new Italian government will be judged on their contribution to the future of Europe, compliance with sanctions against Russia and progress in rebuilding the economy,” said Hardt. Italian economy.
Hardt said Berlusconi, almost 86, has acted as king to share power again.
“One can only hope that in his advanced age he can see the impact of his decisions and keep this government on track,” he said.
Meanwhile, the far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), has launched statement celebrates Meloni’s victory and calls it “another victory of reason”.
“We, as the Substitute for Germany, congratulate Giorgia Meloni on her election and wish her to become the first woman to head the Italian government,” it said.
“Despite all the undemocratic warnings from EU Commission President von der Leyen and other politicians, the Italians, as well as the Swedish Democrats before them, have chosen to change policy,” the statement said. Dad added.
“And that is their good democratic right. Fratelli d’Italia’s electoral success was another triumph of reason. Germany is quite alone in Europe with the green light alliance on the left. “
Hungary
Balazs Orban, the political director of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, celebrated Meloni’s victory and tweeted:
“Congratulations to Giorgia Meloni, Matteo Salvini and Silvio Berlusconi on today’s election! In these difficult times, we need more than ever friends who share a common vision and approach to Europe’s challenges.”
Thank you @GiorgiaMeloni, @matteosalvinimi, @berlusconi in the election today! In these difficult times, we need more than ever friends who share a common vision and approach to Europe’s challenges.
🇭🇺🤝🇮🇹 Long live the Hungarian-Italian friendship! pic.twitter.com/4PN2ZDEJoZ
– Balázs Orbán (@BalazsOrban_HU) September 25, 2022
Poland
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki congratulated Meloni and hailed the “great victory” of the Italian far-right.
Congratulations @GiorgiaMeloni!
– Mateusz Morawiecki (@MorawieckiM) September 25, 2022
Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) Party and Italy’s Brothers are both from the Right-wing group of European Conservatives and Reformers (ECR).
PiS member and former Chancellor Beata Szydlo tweeted: “I’m glad a party from the ECR group is taking on responsibility for another European country.”
Other Polish ruling politicians emphasize the overlap between the two parties, including their emphasis on Catholic family values.
“EU rights are growing stronger… We will defeat communists, leftists and LGBT lobbyists – all of whom are destroying our civilization,” said Deputy Minister Agriculture Janusz Kowalski said on Twitter.
Deputy Justice Minister Michal Wojcik said Meloni’s victory was a “failure” for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling her “representative of anti-democratic forces in the EU”.
Spain
Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Monday warned that populist movements always rise in difficult times but always end badly before election results.
He told reporters at a news conference: “These are uncertain times and at times like these populist movements are always evolving, but it always ends the same way – one catastrophically because they give simple short-term answers to very complex problems.
However, Santiago Abascal, leader of Vox, Spain’s far-right conservative party, said above Twitter: “Giorgia Meloni has shown the way for a free, free Europe of sovereign nations, able to cooperate for the security and prosperity of all.”
Australia
Australian One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts took to Twitter to share a video of Meloni talking about protecting families and said: “The 2-minute video is sharp and accurate. The world is waking up to globalist predators who are inhuman, inhuman scum. “
EU
The European Commission has said it hopes for a constructive relationship with the next government in Italy, even though the Brotherhood of Italy is a populist European party.
In principle, the commission, the EU’s executive body, works “with governments that emerge after the election,” EU spokesman Eric Mamer said at a news conference.
“This is no different in this case. Of course, we hope that we will have a constructive cooperation with the new Italian authorities,” he added.
