Italy’s new conservative leader turns heads

Far-right Italian prime minister in-waiting, Giorgia Meloni, won the election in a resounding victory. The 45-year-old entered Italian politics in 2006 as a conservative journalist, led the Brothers of Italy political party from 2014-2020, and was the president of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party between 2020 until her recent landslide win for Prime Minister on 27 September 2022.

She showed no shame when she promised to unite the nation, “we will defend God, country and family.” According to The Hill: “Italy’s far-right Brothers of Italy party swept to victory in elections and is prepared to form the most conservative government in the nation since World War II. The head of that party, and now Italy’s incoming prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has pushed for a new direction in her country centred on Italian, Christian, and family values.”

Her transparency, integrity and courage gave her voters confidence in her leadership, provoking support and defence for Christianity, which has become taboo and unpopular in this age of political correctness.

However, not all politicians like to play the honesty game…what a surprise. Talks of Meloni being “patronising, bossy, arrogant and offensive” have leaked into the Italian press in recent days, and have already impacted the image of the soon-to-be first Italian female prime minister. According to The Guardian, three-times former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi “scribbled on a piece of paper, which was photographed by the press and published by La Repubblica, that Meloni was patronising, bossy, arrogant and offensive.” But this is hardly proof of the incoming prime minister’s character and nobility. In fact, “tensions between the pair escalated after Meloni vetoed Berlusconi’s demands over the cabinet, which included giving the justice ministry to a Forza Italia politician, in other words, somebody loyal to Berlusconi who could protect his interests as his legal woes continue.”

Local Italian citizens who eschew conservative ideas are both concerned and angry. As cited in Euro News: “Meloni also opposes abortion, euthanasia, and any laws that recognise same-sex marriage or penalise homophobia and hate speech, such as the 1993 Mancino law prohibiting inciting racial or ethnic hatred — which she and other far-right figures in the country have vowed to repeal. One Italian citizen stated, ‘she will make it more difficult for the LGBTQ+ community and minorities in Italy’.”

Meloni concluded her speech with a quote from G.K. Chesterton, in which he spoke of a day when “Fires will be kindled to testify that two and two make four. Swords will be drawn to prove that leaves are green in summer.” Meloni’s final statement is: “That time has arrived. We are ready.”