Latest news with #BrothersofItaly
The Hill
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Is Giorgia Meloni the ‘Iron Lady' for the Trump era?
In the twilight of the Cold War, the West's resurgence was defined by the extraordinary partnership between President Ronald Reagan, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II. Their alliance — grounded in a shared vision of political freedom, faith and economic liberty — reshaped the world. Today, as President Trump works to remake America's place in the world and Pope Leo launches his papacy with strong calls for human dignity in the AI era, one wonders who in Europe can rise to the moment as Thatcher once did. The answer, increasingly, seems to be Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The 2020s are witnessing the rise of a new transatlantic alliance in which Meloni is poised to play the pivotal European role. As the continent's political center struggles with fragmentation and fatigue, Meloni has emerged not just as a survivor, but as the most powerful person in Europe, a bridge between Washington and Brussels and the architect of a new conservative order. Why does Meloni matter now? Recall what made the Thatcher-Reagan partnership so exceptional. Thatcher was not Reagan's sidekick but his intellectual peer and sometimes his challenger. Both leaders were outsiders who stormed the establishment, preaching the virtues of free enterprise and national renewal. Their rapport was legendary, rooted in mutual respect, frequent communication and a willingness to push each other toward bolder action. Thatcher's influence was felt not only in her steadfast support for Reagan's confrontation with the Soviet Union but also in her ability to shape his thinking. Their partnership was not frictionless; disagreements over the Falklands, Grenada and economic policy occasionally flared, but their unity was a force multiplier for the Western world. Fast forward to 2025, and Europe is searching for a new Thatcher — a leader with the vision, resolve and political skill to partner with an assertive America. Enter Meloni, Italy's first female prime minister. Meloni's rise is Thatcherite in its improbability. Once dismissed as a neo-fascist firebrand, she has transformed her Brothers of Italy party from the fringes to the mainstream, presiding over a stable government in a country known for its political chaos. Her coalition dominates Italian politics, and her approval ratings have remained robust even as she pursues controversial reforms. What sets Meloni apart, however, is her growing stature on the world stage. She has become the European leader most closely aligned with Trump, earning his praise and trust. She was the only EU head of government invited to Trump's 2025 inauguration — a symbolic nod to her emerging role as the continent's conservative standard-bearer. The parallels with the Reagan-Thatcher era are striking. Like Thatcher, Meloni is a conviction politician with a talent for coalition-building and a knack for bending events to her will. She has used her position to shift the European debate on migration, security and sovereignty — championing policies that have been adopted, in some form, by Brussels and emulated by other European leaders. Meloni's diplomatic skills have also been on display in her dealings with Washington and Brussels. She has managed to maintain Italy's support for Ukraine and NATO while also cultivating ties with Trump's inner circle and other right-wing populists. Her ability to bridge the gap between an increasingly nationalist America and a fragmented Europe is reminiscent of Thatcher's role as the indispensable transatlantic interlocutor. Of course, the analogy is not perfect. Meloni's Italy is not the U.K. of the 1980s, and today's geopolitical landscape is more multipolar. Thatcher's Britain was a nuclear power and America's closest ally. Meloni's Italy, while influential, does not command the same global clout. Europe today is more fractured, and the threats it faces — migration, energy insecurity, technological disruption — are different from the existential menace of Soviet communism. Yet Meloni's impact is undeniable. She has demonstrated that European leaders can still shape the global agenda, provided they combine ideological clarity with political pragmatism. Like Thatcher, Meloni is willing to challenge orthodoxy and take risks, even at the cost of controversy. As Trump seeks to recast America's role in the world, he needs a European partner who is more than a cheerleader — someone who can match him in vision and tenacity. Meloni, with her blend of conviction, charisma and strategic sense, is uniquely positioned to play that part. The Reagan-Thatcher-John Paul II alliance changed the course of history. Whether Meloni and Trump can forge a partnership of similar consequence remains to be seen. But as Europe's new power broker, Meloni has already shown she is ready to step onto the world stage — and perhaps, like Thatcher before her, help shape the destiny of the West.
Local Italy
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Italy
Why are Italy's left-wing parties struggling to win support?
Almost three years after its historic election victory, Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy party remains the most popular, polling at 29 percent – above the 26 percent it secured in the September 2022 vote, according to the latest YouTrend survey. The prime minister herself tops polls of party leaders with an approval rating of 45 percent, according to Ipsos. The traditional left is struggling across Europe, where populist parties – particularly the far right – have gained ground in recent years. And in Italy, which once had Western Europe's largest Communist Party, "there is a crisis in the left", commented Paolo Borioni, professor of political science at Rome's Sapienza University. He said left-wing parties had "severed their historical class ties", notably with those on lower incomes. The opposition is dominated by the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), currently polling at around 22 percent, and the Five Star Movement, with around 13 percent. Marc Lazar, a professor at Sciences Po Paris and Luiss University in Rome, said both are paying the price for their record in government, where they "disappointed" as they "did not address social issues." The PD adopted several measures that liberalised the labour market and cut public spending while in power after the 2013 election. Since then, they have lost over three million votes. For its part, the Five Star triumphed in 2018 elections on an anti-establishment message, only to ally with its declared enemies while in government. Gaza, Ukraine The PD chose a new leader after the 2022 elections, Elly Schlein, who has tacked further left, championing a national minimum wage and increased spending on education and healthcare. The Five Star under former premier Giuseppe Conte is also pushing for a minimum wage and a basic income for the most vulnerable. "Meloni, like all the right, claims to defend the people but only defends the big hedge funds, the big banks," Riccardo Ricciardi, president of the Five Star parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies, told AFP. Both parties have also sought to mobilise public concern about rising defence budgets and Israel's offensive in Gaza. Five Star threw its weight behind a large protest in Rome last month against rearmament, an issue that Lazar noted "poses a challenge to Giorgia Meloni" in a country with a long tradition of peace movements. But divisions on the issue within the PD have undermined the opposition's ability to attack the government. Both the PD and Five Star also backed a huge protest on Gaza, but some PD supporters accused Schlein of being slow to take up the issue. "They lack courage," lamented Arianna D'Archivio, a 23-year-old student organiser at the rearmament protest. A third large demonstration took place for Pride, an explicit challenge to Meloni's socially conservative agenda. Vote alliances Meloni shares government with the smaller far-right League party and the centre-right Forza Italia, which gives her a majority in parliament. Despite their differences, PD and Five Star have tried teaming up at the ballot box, with joint candidates winning regional elections in Emilia-Romagna and Umbria in 2024, as well as the northern city of Genoa in May. They also both supported a recent referendum on labour market reform, although it failed due to low turnout. Schlein insisted the PD was making progress. "We will happily leave the polls to Meloni's right, but we are winning elections," she told AFP at a recent event. The PD performed better than expected in last year's European Parliament elections, winning 24 percent of the vote, compared to 29 percent for Meloni's party – but with a historically low turnout. Disconnected For Dario Salvetti, an auto industry worker from Florence, the left is "broken" and "disconnected from the masses" in a country where salaries have been stalled for decades and one in ten Italians is classified as living in poverty. For analyst Borioni, there is "no rightward shift in the population in Italy," just more people are abandoning the left. Activists meanwhile see the problem as politics, not the left itself. Francesca Ciuffi, a 27-year-old trade unionist in the textile hub of Prato, noted their recent successes in improving conditions for workers following strikes. "The big unions and left-wing parties have abandoned their role," she said. By AFP's Piera ROCCO DI TORREPADULA
Euractiv
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Euractiv
Meloni to reach 1,000 days in power as approval dips
Meloni to reach 1,000 days in power as approval dips ROME - Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition will reach 1,000 days in office on Friday, making it one of the five longest-serving governments in Italy's post-war history, as well as a rare example of political stability in the country. Though no Italian government has completed a full five-year term with the same coalition since World War II, Meloni appears on course to break that trend. But signs of fatigue are setting in. Just 34% of Italians have a positive view of the government's performance, according to a new YouTrend poll, down three points from last month. Negative views have climbed to 62%, with Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini ranking as the least popular cabinet minister. Public opinion on the government's policies is also divided. The crackdown on femicide is the most widely supported measure overall, with 38% in favour. Among right-wing voters, however, the most popular policies include abolishing the basic income scheme (51%), introducing stricter immigration laws (41%), and enforcing tougher rules on protests and occupations (35%). The proposed bridge linking Sicily to the mainland is the least popular policy overall. Still, Meloni's Brothers of Italy continues to lead the polls with almost 30%, ahead of the centre-left Democratic Party (22%) and the populist Five Star Movement (12%). (Alessia Peretti)
NDTV
14-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
'Trade War Within The West Would Weaken Us All', Warns Italy PM Meloni
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned Sunday against the perception of a "trade war within the West", following US President Donald Trump's announcements of 30-percent tariffs on EU products. "A trade war within the West would weaken us all in the face of the global challenges we are confronting together," Meloni said in a statement released by her office. "Europe has the economic and financial strength to assert its position and reach a fair and sensible agreement," she said. "Italy will do its part. As always," she added, as the EU holds off on a response in the hopes of reaching an agreement. Trump announced Saturday that products imported into the United States from the European Union and Mexico would be subject to 30 percent tariffs starting August 1. Since then, Italian opposition parties have criticised Meloni and her far-right party Brothers of Italy, while opposition Five Star Movement leader Giuseppe Conte accusing her of "bowing her head" to Washington's threats. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that Brussels would not retaliate against US tariffs on steel and aluminium for now, hoping to secure a deal to avoid broader 30-percent levy on all its exported products. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The Hindu
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Italy PM Meloni warns against 'trade war within the West'
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned on Sunday (July 13, 2025) against the perception of a "trade war within the West", following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcements of 30% tariffs on EU products. "A trade war within the West would weaken us all in the face of the global challenges we are confronting together," Ms. Meloni said in a statement released by her office. "Europe has the economic and financial strength to assert its position and reach a fair and sensible agreement," she said. "Italy will do its part. As always," she added, as the EU holds off on a response in the hopes of reaching an agreement. Mr. Trump announced on Saturday that products imported into the United States from the European Union and Mexico would be subject to 30 percent tariffs starting August 1. Since then, Italian opposition parties have criticized Ms. Meloni and her far-right party Brothers of Italy, while opposition Five Star Movement leader Giuseppe Conte accusing her of "bowing her head" to Washington's threats. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that Brussels would not retaliate against U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium for now, hoping to secure a deal to avoid broader 30-percent levy on all its exported products.
