Elections in Italy: the right is expected to make history, the left is still optimistic
Italians are choosing today in general elections that will likely herald the rise of an extreme right-wing government for the first time since World War II.
Polls gave the victory to the coalition of the right, headed by Giorgia Maloney, "the spiritual successor of Mussolini"
Tali Goldstein
25/09/2022
Sunday, September 25, 2022, 09:31 Updated: 09:47
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Italy is going to vote today (Sunday) in general elections that will likely herald the rise of an extreme right-wing government for the first time since World War II.
The supporters of the left-wing parties are trying to maintain optimism while preparing for the worst..
polls before September 9, when the period during which it is forbidden to publish advertisements related to the elections) gave the victory to the coalition of the right, who will claim the majority of seats in the parliament.
The coalition is led by Giorgia Maloney with the "Brothers of Italy" (Fratelli d'Italia) party, and includes three right-wing parties: Lega led by Matteo Salvini, Forza Italia by Silvio Berlusconi and the small Noi Moderati.
According to a survey by Politiche 2022, the Brotherhood of Italy is expected to receive 25% of the votes - in contrast, the right-wing ally Lega is expected to receive 12%.
In the center-left, the Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Enrico Letta is expected to receive 21% of the votes and its coalition partners (the Greens, the Left Alliance, More Europe and Civic Commitment) are estimated to receive a few percent.
According to reports, in southern Italy the Five Star Movement, a party founded on October 4, 2009 by Befe Grillo, a well-known comedian and blogger, has surged in the polls - which may hurt Italy's brothers.
In addition, 40% of voters said that they have not yet decided who to vote for.
The victory of Italy's brothers means that Italy will have its first female prime minister - Meloni.
She will also be the first far-right leader since the rise of Benito Mussolini a century ago.
The Brotherhood of Italy was formed in 2012 but has its roots in the Italian neo-fascist movement that emerged after the death of Mussolini in 1945.
After several incarnations, Maloney left Berlusconi's PdL party to launch "Brothers of Italy" - the first words of the Italian national anthem.
The party has gone from strength to strength since then and is now bigger than the populist party Lega, thanks to its anti-immigration and anti-EU platform.
Italy is a major destination for migrants who cross the Mediterranean Sea by boat.
The first female prime minister? George Maloney (Photo: GettyImages)
George Maloney (Photo: Reuters)
In terms of policy, the Brotherhood of Italy is described as "neo-fascist" or post-fascist. Its platform is reminiscent of the nationalist stance prevalent during the fascist era. However, according to Maloney, it has managed to remove some fascist elements from the ship, saying this summer that the Italian right "brought back fascism To the pages of history."
However, the party is socially conservative, opposes same-sex marriage and promotes "traditional" family values. Maloney even said in 2019 that her mission is to protect "God, the motherland and the family."
Regarding Europe, the party changed its opposition to the euro, but calls for reform of the European Union in order to lighten the bureaucracy and reduce its influence on domestic policy. Her plan is well expressed in one of her slogans: "A Europe that does less, but does it better."
From the economic angle, the Brotherhood of Italy supports cutting value added tax on certain sieges to ease the cost of living.
The party supports NATO and Ukraine and sanctions on Russia, unlike the Lega party. But equally, it also shows friendship to Hungarian President Viktor Orban, even after the European Parliament determined that Hungary can no longer be defined as a "democracy".
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