Europe holds its breath as Italy prepares to vote in far-right leader – By Angela Giuffrida & Jennifer Rankin (The Guardian) / Sept 25, 2022
Coalition led by Giorgia Meloni would be country’s most radical government since Mussolini
Italians are voting in an election that is forecast to deliver the country’s most radical rightwing government since the end of the second world war, and a prime minister ready to become a model for nationalist parties across Europe.
A coalition led by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, a party with neofascist origins, is expected by polls ahead of the vote to secure a comfortable victory in both houses of parliament while taking between 44 and 47% of the vote.
Meloni’s party is also set to scoop the biggest share of the votes within the coalition, which includes the far-right League, led by Matteo Salvini, and Forza Italia, headed by Silvio Berlusconi, meaning she could become Italy’s first female prime minister.
The coalition’s victory, however, raises questions about the country’s alliances in Europe, and while Meloni has sought to send reassuring messages, her conquest of power is unlikely to be welcomed in Paris or Berlin.
