‘If you’re Musk, the number you dial belongs to Meloni’: Italy PM named most influential in Europe

For Giorgia Meloni, being the first woman prime minister of Italy was a huge achievement in itself. Her politics, policies, and popularity that shaped the country considerably have earned her the title of ’the most influential person in Europe'.

Politico has ranked Meloni as the most powerful person in Europe this year in its annual list of influential people in the continent.

From being an activist in the Italian Social Movement to breaking the glass ceiling into becoming the first woman prime minister of the country and now the most influential person in Europe, Meloni has come a long way. The way might be marred by controversies and hardline stances but it has made Italy the most stable country in Europe that has existed post-war.

“Who do you call if you want to speak to Europe? If you’re Elon Musk — the world’s richest man and a key adviser to United States President-elect Donald Trump — the number you dial belongs to Giorgia Meloni,” Politico said in its report.

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An exponential rise

Meloni came to power in 2022 but prior to that, she was an active politician who pushed for a better Italy. She started as an “ultranationalist” figure whose views were dismissed and ridiculed but in less than a decade she rose to the occasion to become Brussels and Washington’s point of contact.

Her policies on issues like LGBTQ+ rights, migration and the economy were once enough to draw Brussels’ ire but lately, her European Union colleagues have welcomed them with a tone of approval.

Many thought her Brothers of Italy-led coalition government would not survive. Experts expected a rift in the right-wing alliance that would eventually break away and lead to the government’s collapse. Not only Meloni has been able to keep the alliance glued together for over two years now, but she has also made Italy the most stable country in Europe.

Despite the country’s national debt amounting to 137 per cent of its GDP, the economic outlook remains stable enough to continue attracting foreign investors, drawn by its exceptionally calm political climate.

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Image conscious?

Meloni seems to be careful to maintain her image in the eyes of the public. One incident that has stuck in memories forever is when Campania region President Vincenzo De Luca called her a “stronza” (bitch) and Meloni greeted him later at an event saying, “President De Luca, I am that bitch, Meloni. How are you doing?”

The clip of the exchange quickly went viral on social media with people calling the prime minister a “straight-talking alpha”.

Politico said, “It’s clear that the appearance of dominance isn’t just superficial. No member of her coalition dares stage an internal challenge to her rule, and the hopelessly fractured opposition openly admits that it cannot defeat her.”

The prime minister frequently uses the courts to stifle critics, filing defamation lawsuits against individuals ranging from Brian Molko, the frontman of Placebo, who labeled her a “fascist” during a 2023 concert, to a teacher who described her as a “neo-Nazi” in a classroom discussion.

Wooing EU partners

While the EU is apprehensive of Meloni’s far-right policies eroding civil liberties in Italy, the prime minister has successfully convinced her partners that she can be trusted.

“Meloni’s rise has coincided with a bloc-wide reckoning with the migration crisis, and the politician has cannily used her palatable image to swing the EU toward her preferred approach to addressing the matter,” the report said.

In collaboration with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Meloni facilitated groundbreaking agreements with Tunisia, Mauritania, and Egypt, directing billions of euros to authoritarian regimes that prevent migrants from reaching Europe by intercepting their boats, imprisoning them, or abandoning them in the desert.