Berlusconi fan Weber sees a "failure" on the part of the left before the Italian elections and warns against one-sidedness

Created: 09/24/2022, 11:40 am

By: Andreas Schmid

Manfred Weber together with Silvio Berlusconi at a joint meeting in 2015. © Mourad Balti Touati/dpa

Silvio Berlusconi could help Italy shift to the right.

A problem for the faction friends of the CSU?

EPP boss Manfred Weber is relaxed in the interview – unlike Ursula von der Leyen.

Rome - Italy's politics are constantly inconsistent.

Since World War II, Italy has elected a new parliament more than 60 times.

During Angela Merkel's 16-year term as chancellor, the head of government in Rome changed nine times.

Silvio Berlusconi was in office twice.

Now the 85-year-old is running with the conservative Forza Italia in the Italian election.

Since it alone is not enough to win the elections, Forza Italia cooperates with the post-fascist Fratelli d'Italia.

In the last polls for the Italian elections on September 25, the “Italian brothers” around top candidate Giorgia Meloni are clearly in the lead.

A right-wing tripartite alliance with the right-wing Lega around former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini could realign Italian politics after the election.

Some Western politicians are more than critical of this, EPP boss Manfred Weber (CSU) meanwhile warns in the

interview to remain calm.

Italy election: Weber sees Berlusconi party as "deeply pro-European force"

Weber is the group leader of the European People's Party.

The EU parliamentary group to which the CDU/CSU belongs - and which also includes Berlusconi's Forza Italia.

Weber, a highly respected CSU politician in Brussels, describes the faction friends of Forza Italia as "a deeply pro-European force".

interview, the native of Lower Bavaria points

out that Berlusconi's party friend Antonio Tajani was President of the European Parliament and EU Commissioner.

Proof of Forza Italia's pro-EU position?

It may be true that the conservatives see Italy in the EU.

However, the potential coalition partners from the right-wing camp see things differently.

Fratelli leader Meloni, possibly Italy's first female head of government, wants to strengthen national interests.

More Rome than Brussels.

The Lega, in turn, has repeatedly positioned itself against the EU.

Italy election: shift to the right in the EU?

Von der Leyen is already talking about the consequences

The first politicians are therefore already warning of a shift to the right in Europe.

After Hungary, Poland and recently Sweden, the fourth right-wing government could come to power in Italy.

In an interview with

from IPPEN.MEDIA, FDP foreign politician Alexander Graf Lambsdorff was already "nervous about European cohesion if Ms. Meloni were to govern Italy".

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is even thinking about the consequences.

"If things go in a difficult direction, we have tools available," she told students at Princeton University.

Statements perceived as a threat by the Italian right.

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Italy election: Weber sees "failure" of the left before Italy election and warns of one-sidedness

Weber – who was the strongest force in the 2019 European elections with the EPP as the top candidate, but did not become EU Commission President due to a backroom deal in Brussels – is more relaxed than von der Leyen.

"I have no doubt that European unity will continue after the Italian elections."

At the same time, the CSU politician advises "a little calm".

Italian politics is "quite special".

It is understandable that right-wing forces are now particularly prominent.

"People are obviously of the opinion that the left has failed." The strongest challenger to the Fratelli is currently the Partido Democratico, a sister party of the SPD, which stands at 20.5 percent in polls.

The Fratelli reach 25 percent.

Overall, Weber is relaxed: "I warn that we are looking at the Italian election too one-sidedly.

The Italian democracy works – now let's let the Italians vote.” That's what the Mediterranean country does on Sunday.

We will keep you up to date on all important developments on election day in our live ticker.