Giorgia Meloni: Her victory in the European elections exceeded all expectations

It was just after midnight, an hour after the polls closed, when a beaming Giorgia Meloni appeared on social media in a pink T-shirt, making the victory sign with her middle and index fingers: “Grazie. The Brothers of Italy are the strongest Italian party. We have exceeded our result in the parliamentary elections.” The right-wing populist prime minister has been in office for almost two years and had announced that she wanted to be judged by her election result of 26 percent.

Her victory with almost 29 percent in the European elections is now even more than that. Meloni had relied entirely on her charisma during the election campaign. She had called on Italians to simply write “Giorgia” on their ballot papers, as this would be enough.

Giorgia Meloni presents herself as a woman of the people – with success

Meloni is a woman of the people, approachable and direct, a politician who, even after 20 months in government, still appears down-to-earth. This is one of the reasons why the Italians, who so many once warned against, are now sympathizing with her. Her surprisingly large electoral success strengthens her power within the coalition, especially against her ally rival Matteo Salvini.

The deputy prime minister has repeatedly embarrassed himself with provocative statements on the international stage. Most recently, he scathingly accused French President Macron of being a “warmonger” because he believed that NATO troops could be deployed in Ukraine. Salvini, a Putin sympathizer, had threatened that he would not support arms deliveries from Italy if they were used against targets on Russian territory.

Meloni’s rival Salvini has failed

But the leader of the Lega party failed in his attempt to win votes to the right of Meloni. He had positioned the homophobic and racist General Vannacci against the head of government – in vain. The picture is somewhat different for her second coalition partner, Antonio Tajani of Forza Italia. The party of founder Silvio Berlusconi, who died a year ago, had already been declared dead. But Tajani, who was as cautious as he was reserved, has managed to step out of Berlusconi’s shadow and establish himself as the leader of a moderate, centrist party. The electoral success of the former President of the European Parliament is now benefiting Meloni in her maneuvers in Europe.

Meloni has earned respect in Brussels, and above all she gives her voters the feeling that Italy is being taken seriously in Europe under her leadership. With her commitment to supporting Ukraine, as well as NATO and the EU, she is seen as a reliable partner. After the European elections, she now has a role to play as a mediator between the European Christian Democrats under Ursula von der Leyen and the right-wing parties with the exception of the AfD. She can become a queenmaker, so to speak.

It will also make demands, especially in migration policy: it was and is the driving force within the large EU countries. Its goals: more isolation on the one hand. And on the other hand, agreements with the countries of origin and transit to curb illegal immigration. Even Meloni’s idea of ​​a reception camp and a deportation center for boat refugees in Albania is now being discussed in the EU as a model for outsourcing asylum procedures.

Meloni wants psychological tests for judges

In domestic politics, the election success has given Meloni the momentum to push ahead with her controversial reforms. Firstly, there is the judicial reform, which critics say restricts the independence of judges. The idea is in the tradition of right-wing populist governments. The judiciary was also always a thorn in Silvio Berlusconi’s side. The Italian judges are biased and left-leaning, says Meloni. That is why she wants to introduce psychological tests for applicants for the positions of public prosecutor and judge.

On the other hand, Meloni is pushing for a constitutional amendment. It is her most important reform and is intended to give her more power as head of government in the future. The key point: the prime minister should be elected directly by the people – Meloni also uses the male form for her office in her own words. If a head of government is overthrown by a vote of no confidence from MPs, he can demand the dissolution of parliament and new elections. This would be an important tool for keeping parliament in check. Meloni wants to push through the constitutional reform by the end of the legislative period – so that the Italians can then re-elect her directly. After the European elections, it now looks as if her chances of doing so are pretty good.