The return of fascism or did it never leave?Giorgia Meloni and her future role as Italy’s New Prime Minister
Text by Mariana Ferro
Since September 25th, people have been hearing the name "Meloni" more and more. Following recent Italian elections, the country will be governed by an extreme right-wing coalition led by Giorgia Meloni. The "woman, mother, and Christian" she identifies as is now prompted to become Italy's first Prime Minister. Sad to say, what could have been the face of a progressive victory for feminists worldwide is now nothing more than a far-right leader holding a pair of melons for clickbait. While making a meme out of your name's literal translation may be a weak humorous try, the matter is more serious than a flop joke.
Giorgia Meloni aspires to spread the conservative values of "God, Fatherland, and Family" throughout the country. Communities and European institutions are especially worried about this new wave of racist, homophobic, and anti-immigrant politics. Meloni's recent speeches pronounced these values loud and clear, causing many to compare her to Italy's former dictator, Mussolini while referring to her as Europe's new Trump. “In times of crisis, there is no middle ground possible” Meloni says, “and order has to be reinstalled to protect Italian roots”. Here, what Meloni sees as threats to Italian society are, ironically, rooted in her racist, islamophobic, and homophobic views. While she claims to support a more unified country, her movement and beliefs are based on division and hatred.
During the interwar period, Mussolini used to spread his oppressive ideas while posing as a "man of the people”. He began his career as a simple journalist and politician but quickly rose to become Europe's terrorist of the 20th century. The charisma communicated by his impressive public speaking skills was the persuasive strategy that gained the public's support. His exclusionary views were long hidden behind the false populist narrative of giving the people power. Instead, Mussolini established a regime that silenced and crushed all opposition voices while intensifying divisions throughout the country. It's reasonable to believe that this man will never serve as a role model for any political leader. But Giorgia Meloni's win proves us wrong. At the young age of 15, Meloni became a fascist activist by joining Mussolini's Italian social movement. The path for growing extremist and conservative views was laid down from then on, with Christianity, national identity, and traditional families at the core of her beliefs. The foundations for her historic win are rooted in today's wave of instability, both economically and socially. As prices rise and no long-term solution is offered to migrants crossing Italian borders, uncertainty is still at the heart of Italian politics.
Yet, in the wake of the recent pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine, the media has become a controversial tool for electoral purposes. Italian politicians have used their Twitter and Tiktok accounts while campaigning to attract audiences. Though their content differs from Tiktok dances, they reach new levels of cringe that deepen despair for Italian politics. Meloni, on the other hand, has taken things to extremes. Last August, she reanimated the debate about immigration and the presence of Islamic communities by sharing a pixellated video of a 55-year-old woman being raped on the streets of Italy by an asylum seeker. This type of media campaign evidently backlashed into harsh criticism for its immoral and electoral goals. Still, the rapist did not fit Meloni's ideal of the white Italian citizen, and by urging for greater security, discrimination against minority refugees follows. The spread of such a message clearly distorts the true reality of the migration crisis. Many people continue to ignore the fact that, under the Dublin Regulation, all migrants must stay in the first EU country they arrive in. Humanitarian assistance for migrants who have crossed the Mediterranean Sea is now even more at risk, largely owing to the far-right's distorted version of the immigration crisis. From left-wing conspiracy theories aimed at replacing Italians with immigrants to even more unrealistic scenarios, there is less and less support for migrants to legally integrate into Italian society. Besides that, the concept of Italian blood complicates the procedure even more. This means that people of Italian descent have priority in applying for citizenship over people born and raised by immigrant parents. The same applies true for asylum seekers, who must go through long and complex procedures to be officially recognized as Italians. Which, in all honesty, is rare.
On top of the anti-immigrant and racist views, Meloni continues to say "Yes to the natural family, no to the LGBT lobby, yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology” in her speech during Vox’s rally. This statement essentially undervalues the milestones of LGTBIQ+ communities and feminist movements while creating an even greater threat to same-sex adoption and abortion rights. Meloni's speech led to many people marching in the streets of Italy in fear of their rights. Although Italy's abortion rights are protected by Law 194, the procedure remains nearly impossible. The law requires hospitals to provide safe abortions, but it also gives health professionals the right to refuse abortion-related activities for religious or personal reasons. These people are known as "conscientious objectors," and they make up for nearly 70% of Italian gynaecologists. Surely, the overwhelming presence of pro-life supporters in such facilities creates an intimidating environment for abortion seekers to act in their freedom of choice.
All in all, the voice of a far-right leader will intensify these practices and limit people's liberties and beliefs. Meloni's strong bonds to many other far-right leaders suggests that anti-Europe sentiment is growing and threatening the region's core progressive ideals. More sources of inequality will arise, which tax cuts and higher minimum pensions will not resolve. What was mistaken as a potentially progressive election is now doomed with a government that will incite exclusion, division, and instability in Italy and across Europe.
