Italy yesterday took a sharp turn to the right after Giorgia Meloni’s euroskeptic populist party swept to victory in general elections, putting the Taiwan-friendly politician on course to become the first female Italian prime minister.
Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, which has neo-fascist roots, won 26 percent in Sunday’s election, according to partial results.
It leads a coalition set to win a majority in parliament and install the most right-wing government since World War II.
Photo: AFP
Her success represents a seismic change in Italy — a founding member of the EU and the eurozone’s third-largest economy — and for the EU.
“Meloni takes Italy,” read the headline in Repubblica, while editorialist Stefano Folli said that Italy “awakes this morning very changed.”
“It is the first time in decades that the country’s political face has transformed so completely. We don’t know yet whether its destiny in Europe has changed, too, but that is the first of many questions” now facing Italians, he said.
Meloni, who campaigned on a motto of “God, country and family,” is expected to become Italy’s first female prime minister, although the process of forming a new government could take weeks.
At a time of soaring inflation, a looming energy crisis and the war in Ukraine, the 45-year-old sought to reassure those worried about her lack of experience and radical past.
Meloni said voters had sent a “clear message” of support for her party to lead their right-wing coalition to power.
“If we are called to govern this nation we will do it for all Italians. We will do it with the aim of uniting people, of enhancing what unites them rather than what divides them,” she told reporters.
In a recent interview with Taiwan’s Central News Agency, Meloni said that she would reverse course on her nation’s support for China’s Belt and Road Initiative and strengthen ties with Taiwan.
She voiced support for Taiwan and criticized China’s assertive actions across the globe, and their implications for Italy and the EU.
On the prospective relationship between Italy and Taiwan under her watch, Meloni said Taiwan would be “an essential concern for Italy.”
“We like to think of a new and more intense season of cooperation: cultural exchanges, tourism, prevention and management of health crises, scientific research and projects in the key sector of microchips, where Taiwan is a world leader,” she said.
Meloni’s coalition allies, Matteo Salvini’s far-right League and former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, lagged behind her in the polls, but together they were forecast to win about 44 percent, enough to secure a majority in both houses of parliament.
Full results were not due until later yesterday, but the center-left Democratic Party, the coalition’s main rival, conceded, saying it was a “sad” day.
Turnout fell to a historic low of about 64 percent.
Congratulations came in quickly from her nationalist allies across the continent, from Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to Spain’s far-right party Vox.
“Meloni has shown the way for a proud, free Europe of sovereign nations,” Vox leader Santiago Abascal wrote on Twitter.
However, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation Jose Manuel Albares said that “populist movements always grow, but it always ends in the same way — in catastrophe.”
Meloni no longer wants Italy to leave the eurozone, but says Rome must assert its interests more, and she has policies that look set to challenge Brussels on everything from public spending rules to mass migration.
Additional reporting by CNA
INVESTIGATION: The case is the latest instance of a DPP figure being implicated in an espionage network accused of allegedly leaking information to Chinese intelligence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member Ho Jen-chieh (何仁傑) was detained and held incommunicado yesterday on suspicion of spying for China during his tenure as assistant to then-minister of foreign affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮). The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said Ho was implicated during its investigation into alleged spying activities by former Presidential Office consultant Wu Shang-yu (吳尚雨). Prosecutors said there is reason to believe Ho breached the National Security Act (國家安全法) by leaking classified Ministry of Foreign Affairs information to Chinese intelligence. Following interrogation, prosecutors petitioned the Taipei District Court to detain Ho, citing concerns over potential collusion or tampering of evidence. The
‘FORM OF PROTEST’: The German Institute Taipei said it was ‘shocked’ to see Nazi symbolism used in connection with political aims as it condemned the incident Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 yesterday amid an outcry over a Nazi armband he wore to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case on Tuesday night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and apparently covering the book with a coat. This is a serious international scandal and Chinese
Seventy percent of middle and elementary schools now conduct English classes entirely in English, the Ministry of Education said, as it encourages schools nationwide to adopt this practice Minister of Education (MOE) Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) is scheduled to present a report on the government’s bilingual education policy to the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee today. The report would outline strategies aimed at expanding access to education, reducing regional disparities and improving talent cultivation. Implementation of bilingual education policies has varied across local governments, occasionally drawing public criticism. For example, some schools have required teachers of non-English subjects to pass English proficiency
TRADE: The premier pledged safeguards on ‘Made in Taiwan’ labeling, anti-dumping measures and stricter export controls to strengthen its position in trade talks Products labeled “made in Taiwan” must be genuinely made in Taiwan, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday, vowing to enforce strict safeguards against “origin laundering” and initiate anti-dumping investigations to prevent China dumping its products in Taiwan. Cho made the remarks in a discussion session with representatives from industries in Kaohsiung. In response to the US government’s recent announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs on its trading partners, President William Lai (賴清德) and Cho last week began a series of consultations with industry leaders nationwide to gather feedback and address concerns. Taiwanese and US officials held a videoconference on Friday evening to discuss the