Italy’s Meloni denies radical image in cautious first 100 days |
ROME, 26 january (Reuters) – Before Italy’s nationalist leader Giorgia Meloni took power in September, Germany’s Stern news magazine placed her on the cover under the title “Europe’s most dangerous woman”.
Europe Such was the concern that Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission’s president, threatened in a vague way that Italy had the “tools” to deal with it if it faltered on the democratic path.
But since Meloni took office at the head of the most right-wing government Italy has seen since World War II 100 days later, those concerns have mostly melted away.
Neo-fascist political despite his roots and often fiery rhetoric, Meloni has chosen to be cautious about confrontation at home and abroad rather than risking tensions or a financial crisis with radical reforms.
“We have seen something like a metamorphosis,” said Sofia Ventura, a professor of political science at the University of Bologna.
“He was more moderate than when he was in opposition and clearly understood that he needed to change his profile to become a credible international leader.”
Friends and foes alike say that a significant reason for the soft-soft approach is money, or rather the lack of it.
At around 150% of GDP, Italy has the third-largest pile of public debt in the industrialized world, behind Japan and Greece, and threatened a dramatic toppling of Liz Truss, who resigned as British prime minister just two days before Meloni took office. cross financial markets.
Former Italian Prime Minister and EU Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said, “What happened in Great Britain shows how careful we need to be in our fiscal and monetary policy.”
VITAL FUNDS
In addition to the pressure on Meloni of Italy Europe The Union’s dependence on the recovery and stability fund is indicated. Under the plan, as long as Rome implements a series of reforms agreed with the previous administration led by Mario Draghi, around 190 billion euro (206 billion dollars) grant and credit should get
Melon, who wants to avoid any misunderstanding Prime Minister his first trip abroad after becoming president was to see von der Leyen in Brussels and to assure him that Italy would honor its commitments despite the reservations it had raised before the election.
Daniele Albertazzi, professor of politics at the University of Surrey, said: “It would be unthinkable for Meloni to risk missing out on this money. Failure would be a tragedy,” he said. “He behaved in the only way he could,” he said.
Its one Europe his only run-in with his leader three weeks after work, President of France Emmanuel Macron Italy 20It came when he condemned a rescue ship carrying more than 0 migrants for not allowing them to dock at their ports. Instead, the boat headed for France.
A government source in Rome said the dispute was caused by a misunderstanding. Meloni’s PR team thought Macron had agreed to come on board and tweeted to thank him. In fact, she didn’t feel and didn’t feel like Roman was trying to manipulate her, the source says.
The couple has since made amends, officials said.
An EU diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity said Meloni, who has previously voiced fierce Euroscepticism, was eager to find his feet in Europe and was clearly cautious.
The same caution showed itself at home.
LONG TERM PLANS
His coalition has yet to introduce any major reforms, and his first budget ignored some very expensive campaign promises. The government has also announced a measure to reduce excise duty on fuel from March 2022, despite once promising to eliminate the tax altogether. cancellation did
The Italian public has so far applauded Meloni’s caution, with support for his Brotherhood of Italy party above 30% in the polls, compared to 26% in the September election — more than three times the support of his coalition partners, the League and Forza Italia. painting.
Political three in a land of turmoil judge the party has avoided any major infighting and is predicted to rule together for a full five years — something that has only happened once since World War II.
Proponents say that this the president means they can devote time to reforms such as the introduction of a methodical government.
“We are working on a program spread over five years without worrying about bringing home immediate results,” Giovanni Donzelli, the head of the Italian Brotherhood, told Reuters.
Behind the scenes, some changes are brewing, with the right-wing bloc starting to place its own appointees in key positions, while a planned reorganization of the Treasury could give Meloni and his allies more power to shape state-controlled institutions.
But Melo’s poll dominance over his partners, who at various times previously led the conservative bloc, could create friction, with the League and Forza Italia unlikely to accept playing the role of junior partner for long.
A likely trigger for the opposition is giving the League’s northern bastions more autonomy, including more say over how taxes are spent. Such a reform is not appreciated by the Italian Brothers, who fear that it could hurt the hearts of voters in the central and southern regions.
“Regional autonomy will cause a lot of problems for Meloni. It’s a very tough circuit,” said Albertazzi.
($1 = 0.9206 euros)
Supplement by Angelo Amante in Rome and Michel Rose in Paris report; Edited by Edmund Blair
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2023-01-26 10:27:51
Source – reuters
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