Test of Strength in Italy – “Real Right”: Svazek lunges at Nehammer

The starting point for the somewhat strange charm offensive of the two Austrian top politicians towards our neighbors was a message from the Chancellor on Saturday.

Nehammer: “I have a friendship with Meloni”
“I now have a friendship with Georgia Meloni. During my short stay in Rome, we spontaneously met for dinner. I appreciate their consistency in the fight against illegal immigration and for solid protection of the EU’s external borders,” Nehammer wrote on X under a photo with Meloni.

Svazek opposes the Chancellor’s dinner
Just one day later, this was followed by an ironic counterattack from FPÖ Vice-President Marlene Svazek. ‘Anyone can dine with Nehammer. Espresso with il capitano Matteo Salvini only the real right-wingers,” the deputy governor of Salzburg wrote on Instagram under a shared photo with Salvini.

Espresso in a plastic cup
What fans of Italian espresso culture will immediately notice: Both drink their espresso from a plastic cup (!) – usually an absolute no-go in Italy. After all, drinking coffee goes hand in hand with a certain style.

But anyway: Svazek was apparently not at all happy with Nehammer’s approach to the right-wing prime minister and she wanted to use the photo to make it unmistakably clear that ‘poaching’ in right-wing territory is the exclusive preserve of the Freedom Party.

Svazek with Salvini, Orban and Wilders
The photo was taken on Sunday during the annual meeting of the right-wing populist Italian ruling party Lega in Pontida, Lombardy. Svazek represented FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl there. Prominent people from the European party alliance ‘Patriots for Europe’, led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the leader of the leading Dutch ruling party, Geert Wilders, came.

Svazek gave a speech in Italian
Svazek, who delivered her speech at the legal meeting in Italian, highly praised Salvini, but he faces several years in prison for his controversial actions against sea rescuers. “As Italy’s Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini placed his country’s security above his own well-being and thus defended European values,” Svazek wrote on Facebook.

Meloni did not comment on social media about the meeting with Nehammer. Salvini posted a photo of Svazek on X with an excerpt from her speech. In it, the blue politician emphasized the need to defend Europe as an area of ​​“art and culture”.

Salvini’s Lega fraternizes with the FPÖ
Salvini’s Lega is the junior partner in the Italian government, which is led by the right-wing populist Fratelli d’Italia (FdI) Melonis. Meloni has ruled the third largest EU state since a clear victory in parliamentary elections last year. The right-wing populist League, which has ties to the FPÖ, and the ÖVP sister party Forza Italia are junior partners in her cabinet.

Meloni is constantly courted by EPP politicians
Meloni has long been courted by European People’s Party (EPP) politicians such as Nehammer. At EU level it continues to make common cause with, among others, the right-wing nationalist Polish PiS, the Czech conservative ruling party ODS or the right-wing populist Swedish Democrats (SD) and Finns in the framework of the “European Conservatives and Reformists” (ECR). )-group.

The right-wing prime minister rejected Kickl’s alliance
Attempts to form a grand alliance of right-wing parties in the EU failed after the European elections, partly due to differences in Ukrainian policies. The FPÖ joined forces with, among others, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, French right-wing populist Marine Le Pen and Dutch election winner Geert Wilders to form the ‘Patriots for Europe’ group, the third strongest force in the world. new European Parliament. Meloni rejected Kickl’s alliance.