 "Why timing of Meloni's Italy hosting G7 summit couldn't have been better")
The host of the G7, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, emerged as a big winner in the European Parliament elections on Monday. Her party—the Brothers of Italy—will now have a much bigger say in the EU.
Comparing the latest election to the last one, which was held in 2019, both times, Meloni has been part of a conservative coalition. The European Conservatives and Reformists bloc (ECR) in the 2019 EU elections had won 62 seats out of 751—a bit more than 8 percent—however, this time around, it has increased its representation.
Provisional results give the ECR 73 out of 720 seats—more than 10 percent—so Meloni’s coalition has marginally increased its seat share.
On the surface, the numbers don’t seem like much, but that changes when you dig deeper. In 2019, Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party won 10 seats. This time, it’s projected to win 24; that’s no joke! This is because in the EU, that number can decide the president. Ursula von der Leyen is the current European Commission president. She’s standing for re-election. She has a tough task on her hands. The last time, she secured the presidency by a mere nine votes.
This time, Meloni is likely to have 24 seats, which potentially makes her the kingmaker. Von der Leyen had suspected that this might be the case. So she refused to rule out working with Meloni.
This is a huge shift for Europe. For years, the EU has been run by the Centrists, who always went to the Liberals for support. Liberals are those parties that advocate climate-friendly Green policies. But now, the Centrists must explore alternatives, like Meloni and her ECR coalition.
Von der Leyen is keeping her cards close to her chest right now. Her coalition says it won’t seek a formal deal with Meloni. But they could work together on a case-by-case basis. That signals two things: (i) von der Leyen’s flexibility, and (ii) Meloni’s growing clout.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsEven 5 years ago, von der Leyen allying with the Brothers of Italy—a party with fascist roots that was once considered fringe and far Right—would have been considered unthinkable. But now, von der Leyen says she might work with Meloni.
Even if it is just on a case-by-case basis, that is still an admission of Meloni’s clout, boosting the Italian PM’s legitimacy across Europe and at home.
Meloni became Italy’s prime minister in 2022. Her party had won about 26 percent of the vote. In this EU election, she won about 29 percent. That shows more Italians trust her today. It is a sign of their confidence in her and a signal as well.
The Italians want Meloni to take her policies to the European stage. So whether she becomes a member of von der Leyen’s coalition or stays on the opposition benches, Meloni will be speaking for Italy at the EU, and with her resounding mandate, everyone will have to stop and listen.
The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.
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