There is a mantra that is repeated among the participants in the demonstration in Piazza del Popolo in Rome: after having conquered the government of Italy we must get to the government of Europe. Giorgia Meloni says it and the militants of the Brothers of Italy who dream of a conservative Europe repeat it. What until a few years ago represented only a desirable but not achievable hypothesis, today appears to be an achievable and within reach goal. To become part of the next European majority (numbers permitting), Giorgia Meloni is aware of having to move on a double track: on the one hand to carry forward reassuring positions for the European institutions, on the other not to forget issues and battles dear to her electorate . Once upon a time it would have been called “of struggle and government”, today we could define it as an institutional and political strategy. In fact, Meloni can play on two fields, making her role as Prime Minister or party leader bear weight, depending on the situation.
Being the head of government of the third European nation by number of inhabitants and GDP allows her to have a privileged position in the European Council which chooses the president of the European Commission. By virtue of her institutional role and the year and a half in government, Meloni can make the results achieved count by offering a reassuring image in Europe too. Despite the gloomy forecasts of the left before his inauguration, today Italy is in a good situation: employment is growing to record numbers and the spread is decreasing. Results that Giorgia Meloni can put on the table and claim but her most important asset is Italy’s positioning in foreign policy which is always linear and without deviations.
At the same time, however, there is an entirely political game to be played for the formation of the new European majority and Meloni, having shed the role of Prime Minister, takes on those of party leader of the first Italian political force which will send a patrol of 24/25 MEPs. A political weight to add to the role of president of the ECR, the group of conservatives and reformists, which will see its seats in the European Parliament increase. If that wasn’t enough, Meloni can also boast an open channel of dialogue with right-wing government leaders including Hungary.
This is an aspect that should not be underestimated since, with the right of veto mechanism, the vote of each state has its own weight.
In any case, regardless of what the definitive scenario will be and the European majority that will form, one thing can be said with certainty: Giorgia Meloni will play a leading role.
