Giorgia Meloni: A Model for Europe's Right and a Bridge for the Union

When Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the 'Brothers of Italy' party, came to power in 2022 at the head of a successful right-wing coalition, few in Brussels imagined that two years later EU officials would ask her to help resolve some of the block's intractable issues; the general perception was that with Meloni in power instead of Mario Draghi, a major supporter of the EU, Brussels would likely have to prepare for fundamental challenges with the new leader in Rome. While most European leaders witnessed significant defeats of ruling parties during the European Parliament elections, Meloni continued to shine in the domestic political scene in Italy and increased her influence in European equations. Unlike most right-wing politicians in Europe, the Italian Prime Minister has sought from the outset to avoid crossing certain red lines set by senior EU officials that could be alarming for them. For example, she condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine from the beginning and emphasized the need to continue support for Kyiv in its fight against Vladimir Putin's army. This is in contrast to Silvio Berlusconi, the former Prime Minister and leader of the 'Forza Italia' party, who had long-standing warm relations with the Russian dictator. Among other right-wing politicians in Europe, from France to Eastern Europe, the common strategy towards Russia has generally been appeasement with the Kremlin and Putin. However, Meloni has sought to position herself as a bridge between conservatives and liberals across the Union instead of engaging in conflicts over such issues with Brussels. Meloni's approach has resulted in her not becoming a fundamental challenge for Brussels but rather a catalyst for some common European challenges. During this time, she has strengthened her relationship with Ursula von der Leyen to the extent that the President of the European Commission has repeatedly spoken of her 'good cooperation' with the Italian Prime Minister. The right in Italy has long criticized the EU's immigration policies, viewing them as a factor for increasing the number of refugees and illegal immigrants to the country. With the rise in migration from African countries and intensifying discontent among European countries, this issue has now become one of the common challenges for many countries in Europe. Meloni has utilized this emerging capacity by traveling several times with the President of the European Commission to Egypt and Tunisia to sign agreements aimed at controlling the wave of refugees from North Africa to this southern European country. Meloni has also provided another benefit for Brussels by leveraging existing capacities to persuade stubborn actors such as Viktor Orbán, the nationalist leader of Hungary, whose fundamental disagreements with the EU are well-known. For instance, Meloni's efforts led the Hungarian Prime Minister to support the EU's aid budget package for Ukraine and the Brussels migration pact within the Union. This comes at a time when engagement and progress with Budapest had become a fundamental challenge within the EU. Following the significant victory of the current Italian Prime Minister in the European Parliament elections, and given that the parties of leaders from countries like France and Germany experienced severe defeats in the same elections, Meloni's share and position in future EU equations are expected to further enhance. With her influence in the European Parliament, she can play a key role in maintaining von der Leyen's position in the European Commission; on the other hand, with the increasing shift of the European Parliament in favor of the right, the Italian Prime Minister has the potential to become a model for right-wing movements across Europe. A model that, while appearing uncompromising on social issues such as LGBTQ rights and immigration or political issues like nationalism, has compelled Brussels to recognize the role of such political movements and actors by compromising on some other issues.