The electoral victory of the right in Italy presents Europe with new uncertainties in times of crisis. Russia is using the moment to appeal to the new government: it should overcome the West’s hostile attitude and strengthen cooperation with Russia.
Following the electoral victory of the far right in Italy, the Kremlin has expressed hope for better cooperation with the new leadership in Rome. “We are ready to welcome any political force capable of overcoming the dominant currents of hatred towards our country and being more constructive in relations with our country,” said President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov , in Moscow.
According to projections, Giorgia Meloni and her right-wing FDI party received around a quarter of the votes in the parliamentary elections on Sunday, making it the strongest force in Italy. In an alliance with the right-wing populist Lega and the conservative Forza Italia, the party of ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, she could probably head the government in the future.
Other right-wing parties in Europe are also hoping for cooperation: France’s right-wing nationalist Marine Le Pen tweeted her congratulations and wrote that Meloni had withstood “the threats of an anti-democratic and arrogant European Union”. AfD politicians and the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also congratulated.
The federal government was initially reluctant to assess the strengthening of the right in Italy. Italy is a Europe-friendly country. “And we assume that this will not change,” said Deputy Government Spokesman Wolfgang Büchner. Others became clearer. The fact that Italy is likely to be governed “by an alliance of neo-fascists, right-wing nationalists and right-wing populists” is a heavy burden for cohesion in Europe, said the deputy chairman of the SPD parliamentary group, Achim Post.
In terms of foreign policy, Meloni is considered pro-Western and a supporter of NATO. She emphasizes her support for Ukraine, which is being attacked by Russia, which many also attribute to her ties to the Polish ruling party PiS. Meloni is also known for her criticism of the EU institutions. In Brussels, she wants to renegotiate the conditions of the Corona reconstruction fund. She has also announced a hard hand against Mediterranean migrants.
