Italy's potential new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says she will be a firm Atlanticist and supporter of Ukraine. Giorgia Meloni is going to take Italy into a deeper crisis.
On September 25, the Italians will elect the new parliament. The right-wing party Brothers currently enjoys the highest rating.
According to a recent study conducted by Demopolis, if elections were held today:
The gap between the two main coalitions (the liberals led by the Democratic Party and the conservatives led by the Brothers of Italy) is currently about 15 points, and it is going to grow.
According to Italian media, the right-wing government coalition Italia Domani is maturing: Brothers, League and Forza Italia. The leader of the Brothers, Giorgia Meloni, will be elected Italy's new prime minister.
Giorgia Meloni assures that her government will be a solid Atlanticist government that will support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
She has stressed this out many times in her recent interviews. Meloni's coalition partner, the League leader Matteo Salvini, is suspected of "killing" Mario Draghi's government "on the orders of Vladimir Putin" (The League left the coalition with the Democratic Party in the previous government, which triggered its collapse and early elections).
Formerly a Euroskeptic, Meloni does not have the gut to be one, and one may understand why. In the current situation with the EU, she would not be able to either coordinate the coalition program or qualify for the elections at all.
Therefore, Giorgia Meloni boldly denies suspicions of Russian assistance and keeps silence about her opposition to immigration and what she called the LGBT lobby.
"If some people (Salvini) think that under our banner (of the right coalition) they can behave in a way that allows the left to depict us as those who feel nostalgic about the operetta at the time when we are building a big conservative party, then they should know that they have knocked on the doors of the wrong house, they betray our cause," Meloni said.
With regard to the special operation in Ukraine, the leader of the Brothers believes that Italy should not be "the weak link of the West." Instead, Italy should demonstrate itself as a "proud and faithful nation that takes off the stereotype of the nation of spaghetti and mandolin, which is so dear to ill-wishers."
As we can see, Meloni makes a clear emphasis on image, rather than national interest.
Frankly speaking, the right Italian electorate does not support ideas of Atlantic solidarity. Those who vote for the Brothers of Italy are far more vehemently opposed to anti-Russian sanctions than those who support the League, a poll conducted by the Aspen Institute said.
Speaking on the gas embargo, Meloni noted in April that "it would be suicidal for us, the economic cost is too high."
Indeed, according to Confcommercio, Italy's GDP is expected to fall by 0.6 percent in July compared to June. According to Instat, the inflation rate amounted to 8 percent in July. Consumer basket prices rose by 9.1 percent. The Italians have not seen such an increase since September 1984. Due to the increase in electricity and fuel costs, many enterprises are going bankrupt, the dairy industry is on the verge of a serious crisis as companies have to pay huge bills for the consumption of electricity by refrigeration plants.
Antonio Patuelli, President of the Italian Banking Association (ABI) noted that 75 percent of household savings are invested abroad and only 25 percent remain in Italy.
Thus, the starting position of Italia Domani is as follows: Meloni firmly supports the sanctions against Russia, but offers not to go too far.
Ivan Marino, PhD in law, head of Osservatorio Russia, told Pravda.Ru that the leaders of the right-wing coalition had big private ambitions, but many Italians would bear in mind the risks for a neo-fascist party coming to power.
The expert noted that the United States does not want the European Union to play an independent role. To stop the EU from developing foreign defense policy, Washington puts pressure on member countries.
"One can see it in Italy from the political point of view. Unfortunately, mass media do not reflect the real situation about what is happening today in Ukraine, and this topic does not appear in election campaigns of the parties,” Ivan Marino said.
The main problem — the expansion of NATO in the East and Asia — is not discussed at all.
"Therefore, one does not have to harbour illusions, the right will not change its foreign policy," said Ivan Marino.
According to lawyer and political scientist Paolo Raffone, Italy risks being left alone on the ruins of the old world. Its former interests in the Balkans, in Lebanon have become "black holes". Ukraine's economic rating was downgraded to CCC (default level), and many military experts believe that Kyiv is not going to be the winner in the current conflict.
The political scientist predicts a crisis in the US and the collapse of Europe. From the Italian point of view, the belief that you can count on solutions offered by the EU and NATO is negligible, he noted.
We would like to add here that the firm Euro-Atlantic union does not actually exist. If NATO nuclear bases in Italian cities of Ghedi, Sigonella and Aviano are destroyed, both the USA and the UK would only care less about it.