Italy: Giorgia Meloni Sworn In As Country's First Woman Prime Minister — Key Points To Know About New Leadership

As Giorgia Meloni was officially declared Italy's Prime Minister, the world looks to ascertain if she will emerge as a firebrand far-right leader or become a more moderate right-wing politician.

Giorgia Meloni was named Italian prime minister on October 21, 2022, becoming the first woman to head a government in Italy. ( Image Source :AFP )

New Delhi: Italy's Giorgia Meloni was sworn in on Saturday as the country's first woman Prime Minister after she took the oath of office before the Italian president at the presidential palace, becoming also the first woman to be the nation’s premier.

Meloni secured the premier's post after her Brothers of Italy party won in last month’s national election.

The world is closely watching the developments in Italy to ascertain whether Meloni will emerge as a firebrand far-right leader as her party is said to have neo-fascist roots or become a more moderate right-wing politician.

Meloni announced her Cabinet on Friday evening after she succeeded in capturing 26% of the vote, the Associated Press reported. Her coalition allies include Matteo Salvini's right-wing League and the conservative Forza Italia party headed by former Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

Key Points To Know About New Leadership

• As doubts were raised over Italy's stance in the Russia-Ukraine war, the new Prime Minister dismissed concerns with a strong statement underlining support for Kyi, According to her, there was no room for dissent on Italy's position, even at the cost of not forming a right-wing government.
  
  
• Melon recently indicated that Poland will be a key ally for Italy as she also singled out the success of the far-right in Sweden. Meloni also has hinted at a desire to limit the EU’s influence. “We need a braver Europe when it is time to ... respond to big crises and big international scenarios, and a little more humble when it comes to aspects of our daily lives that could be dealt with much better at a national level,” she told a rally, as quoted by the AP.
  
  
• The Italy Prime Minister chose on Friday as foreign minister Antonio Tajani, a pro-EU politician and former president of the European parliament. Her new finance minister is Giancarlo Giorgetti, one of the most moderate League leaders, as reported by AP. His selection is seen as a guarantee that the economic strategies of outgoing Premier Mario Draghi will continue.

• Notably, Giorgia Meloni has advocated for alternatives to abortion to promote Italy’s birth rate, which is among the lowest in the world. She has also criticised what she terms the “LGBT lobby”. As per AP's report, her party’s program mentioned that it is against gay marriage, gay adoption, and surrogate motherhood.
  
  The stance has led to Women and minority groups in Italy, from the LGBTQ community to immigrants, fearing that their rights will be curtailed under the new government.

• The new leadership is also against granting automatic citizenship to children of immigrants born in Italy. Meloni spoke against economic migrants, demanding a naval blockade to prevent their boats from leaving northern Africa.

• Meloni has backed a European price cap on Russian gas, the AP reported. Italy’s Confindustria business lobby cautioned that thousands of businesses are at risk as industrial energy costs rose from 8 billion euros ($7.87 billion) in 2019 to 100 billion euros this year, the report mentioned.

  Notably, coalition partner Matteo Salvini has pushed for Italy to take on more debt to help households and small and medium-sized business owners who are the backbone of his party’s constituency.

 

The new government is tasked with reducing Italy’s public debt which is the second-highest in the eurozone at 150% of GDP, while also ensuring budget stability.

 (With Inputs By AP)