On Friday, Italian President Sergio Mattarella officially ordered election winner and right-wing politician Giorgia Meloni to form a government. The 45-year-old leader of the far-right party “Fratelli d’Italia” (FdI – Brothers of Italy) accepted Mattarella’s order and has already presented her list of ministers. The new government will be sworn in on Saturday morning. Meloni is likely to become the first woman to lead an Italian government.
Mattarella had a one and a half hour conversation with Meloni on Friday afternoon before giving her the government job. Meloni’s party, the former post-fascist small party Fratelli d’Italia, rose to become the strongest party in parliament in the snap general election on September 25 with 26 percent of the vote. By a wide margin, the far-right party overtook its long-dominant right-wing allies Lega and Forza Italia, receiving just nine and eight percent of the vote, respectively.
Meloni has a broad right-wing majority
Meloni was therefore able to claim leadership in the centre-right alliance. Lega boss Matteo Salvini and ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi have struggled with this in recent weeks. Together, the legal alliance has a large majority in both houses of the Italian Parliament.
The right-wing populist, sometimes referred to as the ‘queen of the post-fascists’, attracted attention during the election campaign with her strident appearances and sharp attacks. The professional politician from Rome criticized illegal immigration, high taxes and the Brussels technocracy. Their stated goal is to defend the Italian “identity” against globalization. Meloni likes to refer to Italy’s Christian roots and traditional family values in her speeches.
Draghi has no advice for his successor
Meloni replaces independent Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. The former ECB president said on Friday at his last EU summit that he had no advice for the next government. In Brussels, Draghi said he was trying to bring about a “quiet transition” so that the new government could get started as soon as possible.
In the new government, number two of the conservative Forza Italia party and former President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani will take the positions of foreign minister and deputy prime minister in the new centre-right government. Lega boss Matteo Salvini takes over as second deputy prime minister and infrastructure minister. The League’s leader, Roberto Calderoli, will head the Ministry for the Regions, which will have to deal with the issue of regional autonomy. Roman police chief Matteo Piantedosi will head the interior ministry. Minister of Justice will be the retired judge Carlo Nordio of the Fratelli d’Italia.
Daniela Santanche, who will take over the Ministry of Tourism, is also from Meloni’s far-right party. Meloni’s “right-hand man” and brother-in-law Francesco Lollobrigida will lead the Ministry of Agriculture. Melonis confidant Guido Crosetto, co-founder of the Fratelli d’Italia, will take the post of Defense Minister.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
