Meloni’s victory plunges Italy into an era of uncertainty

A period of uncertainty began on Monday after post-fascist Georgia Meloni’s victory in legislative elections led a fractured coalition to agree on a government before facing the economic crisis Europe faces. Markets.

• Read more: In Italy, historic victory for far-right in elections

Armed with an absolute majority in parliament, the leader of the Fratelli d’Italia and his allies Matteo Salvini of the League (anti-immigration) and Silvio Berlusconi of Forza Italia (right) will discuss forming a government in the coming days. , which will see the light of day very soon at the end of October.

Ms. Maloney won more than 26% of the vote, a record no vote (36%) and his coalition won 44% of the vote, giving him a majority in both chambers.

At the age of 45, Giorgia Meloni, who was to become Europe’s first post-fascist leader of a founding country, promised Italy and abroad: “We will rule for all,” she promised.

Word passed on Monday of taking voters to the streets of Rome. “You have to be confident, first she was a woman, then the speech she spoke was measured,” said Andrea Fogli, an artist in the sixties.

Below the 9% mark, a score halved compared to 2018, Matteo Salvini has been paying a high price for the League’s participation in successive governments since 2018, but has ruled out resigning.

“We will talk to Georgia today to reflect quickly and well on the next government,” he said.

“He will have a smaller role than he would like in forming the government,” barring his planned return to the interior ministry, University of Bologna political science professor Sofia Ventura analyzed for AFP. Anti-immigrant policy.

Abroad, the French president guaranteed to respect the “democratic and sovereign will” of Italians, believing that “as neighbors and friends, we must continue to work together.”

Berlin, for its part, expects Italy to be “very positive for Europe”.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the US “looks forward” to working with the new government while promoting respect for human rights.

“We are ready to welcome any political force that can break the established mainstream (…) of hatred towards our country and be more constructive in relations with our country,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. .

Ms Meloni has received enthusiastic support from pets in Brussels, Poland and Hungary, as well as congratulations from Spain’s far-right VOX party and the National Rally (RN) in France.

Enrico Letta, head of the Democratic Party (PD, the main left party), lamented “a sad day for Italy” and announced that he would resign from the next party congress after his disappointing result.

The new executive will succeed Mario Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank (ECB), in a cabinet of national unity from January 2021, the third largest economy in the euro zone brought to its knees by the pandemic.

Mr. Draghi held talks with Brussels.

Despite the stakes, several parties that agreed to join his government (Bradtelli d’Italia remained in opposition) overthrew him this summer, leading to snap legislative elections.

While “Super Mario”, billed as the savior of the Eurozone during the 2008 financial crisis, seems guaranteed credibility in the eyes of its European partners, the rise to power of far-right nationalists, Eurosceptics and sovereigntists raises fears. A new era of uncertainty.

In particular, Italy, which is crumbling under a debt of 150% of GDP, the highest rate in the eurozone behind Greece, is experiencing inflation above 9%, gas and electricity bills are straining households and businesses.

In a sign of continued investor concern about Italy’s debt, the “spread,” the closely watched gap between Germany’s 10-year lending rate and Italy’s ten-year, rose to 235 points on Monday. 6.68%

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