Mussolini’s granddaughter leaves Meloni’s party: She is too right-wing

Rachele Mussolini, a granddaughter of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, is leaving the right-wing party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The 50-year-old announced that she would leave the largest government party, Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy), and join the (very) conservative Forza Italia party. The Fratelli are now too right-wing for her. Now it is time to work in a party that is “closer to her moderate and centrist spirit,” the news agency Ansa quoted Rachele Mussolini as saying.

Mussolini’s granddaughter has been a member of Rome’s municipal parliament for the Fratelli since 2016. When she was re-elected three years ago, she achieved the best result of all candidates. For many in Prime Minister Meloni’s party – which has its roots in Italy’s post-fascist movement – Mussolini was considered a figurehead and was valued within the party. However, she had already represented more moderate positions than many of her party colleagues for years.

Rachele Mussolini advocates for the naturalization of migrant children

The newspaper “La Repubblica” reported that current political discussions were the deciding factor in her move. Mussolini supports the naturalization of migrant children who have attended school in Italy, something that is a matter of dispute within the governing coalition. She sees herself as a liberal and an advocate of LGBT rights. With these positions, she feels more comfortable in the Forza Italia party founded by the late former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Mussolini stressed.

Rachele Mussolini’s father, Romano, was a jazz pianist and brother-in-law of film diva Sophia Loren. He was the fourth child of the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini (1883-1945). Other descendants of Mussolini also began political careers. Rachele’s half-sister, Alessandra, sat in both Italian parliamentary chambers for several years and most recently as a member of the European Parliament for Forza Italia.