Mario Draghi was unable to gather the governing coalition in Italy behind him. Now he is stepping down as prime minister. President Sergio Mattarella has dissolved the National Assembly and called for new elections on September 25, reports the state channel RAI. Populist and EU-critical parties seem to want to do very well. And especially the far-right party that carries the legacy of Mussolini, “Brothers of Italy”. 23 percent of Italians currently say they will vote for the brothers. – The will of the people is only expressed in one way: by voting. Let’s give hope and strength back to Italy, party leader Giorgia Meloni said shortly after Draghi’s departure became known. COLLABORATION: Donald Trump’s former spin doctor Steve Bannon collaborated for a while with Giorgia Meloni, pictured here in Rome in 2018. Photo: TIZIANA FABI / AFP Giorgia Meloni: the woman who can lead “Italy’s brothers” to victory Giorgia Meloni is 45 years old, and has since 2014 led the party Fratelli d’Italia, or “Brothers of Italy”. Meloni’s political career started early. At the age of 15, she joined “The Italian Social Movement”. The party was founded by the followers of the dictator Benito Mussolini after the war, and for a long time represented what was called “neo-fascism”. Since then, the party has changed its name and distanced itself from fascism. The party got its first experience in power when they were invited into Silvio Berlusconi’s government in 1994. In recent decades, the party has toned down its most extreme attitudes. But Meloni’s “Brothers of Italy” is still securely anchored on the extreme right wing of Italian politics. Fratelli d’Italia (Fratelli d’Italia) is described as a nationalist, conservative, populist and far-right party. Against immigration: Among other things, will introduce zero tolerance for illegal immigration and block migrants from reaching Italian islands and ports in the Mediterranean. Against gay marriage and abortion: Italy’s brothers strongly oppose gay marriage and abortion, and can generally be described as socially conservative. Strong EU skepticism: Will renegotiate the Eurozone and EU treaties, as well as give Italian law primacy over EU laws. Protectionism: Will protect Italian companies from competition with the global market, thus introducing stricter customs costs. Less negative view of Mussolini: Will abolish the national holiday on April 25, which celebrates liberation after World War II. And in just four years, the party has gone from around 5 per cent support to 23 per cent support. If it lasted until the election, Italy’s brothers would become the largest party. With the support of another far-right party, the Northern League, and Silvio Berlusconi’s still important Forza Italia, the right has a good chance of forming a coalition government. With Meloni as prime minister. POSSIBLE GOVERNMENT TRIO: Matteo Salvini (left), Giorgia Meloni, and Silvio Berlusconi (right) represent the three most important parties on the Italian right, and may form a government this autumn. Photo: GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE / Reuters Insurmountable obstacles for “Super Mario” Draghi tried to quit the job already last week. Then President Sergio Mattarella said no, and asked him to make one last attempt. Thousands of Italians signed a petition for Draghi to stay. But the internal division became too great. Three of the government’s six parties chose not to vote for Draghi in a motion of no confidence raised against him on Wednesday. VOTED DOWN: Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi addresses the Senate on July 20. Photo: GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE / Reuters Draghi was nicknamed “Super Mario” for his long-standing efforts as head of the European Central Bank after the euro crisis in 2011. He himself is non-partisan, and was seen as a savior when he came in to lead the government in February last year. The elite-critical Five Star Movement no longer gave Draghi unreserved support. Disagreements about a crisis package for vulnerable people and companies were the last straw. Then Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia and Matteo Salvini’s Northern League saw their cut in abstaining from voting in the motion of no confidence. Even though Draghi won the vote, he felt it was time to give up. Italy’s brothers Italian name: “Fratelli d’Italia” The nationalist right-wing radical party is led by Giorgia Meloni, and are very critical of the EU and immigration. The party had until recently a very pro-Russian profile, but has since turned to support Ukraine and Nato. Is now the largest political party in Italy, if you follow the opinion polls. So far this year, they have grown from 20 to 23 percent support. Now have 37 representatives in the National Assembly and 21 in the Senate. The Northern League Italian name: “Lega Nord” A regional party in the important regions of Veneto and Lombardy. The party led by Matteo Salvini fronts independence for northern Italy, federalism, EU skepticism and an otherwise radical right-wing policy. Since the start of the year, Lega has gone from 19 to 15 percent support in opinion polls. Is now the largest party in the National Assembly with 131 representatives, and has 60 senators. The Five Star Movement Italian name: “Movimento 5 Stelle” Strong EU skeptics and elite critics. At the same time, they front several environmental issues, and support, among other things, direct democracy and a strengthening of social benefits. Since the start of the year, the movement has gradually dropped from 14 to 11 per cent support in opinion polls. Is now the largest party in the senate with 62 senators, and second- largest in the National Assembly with 105 representatives.
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Draghi steps down – the heir to the neo-fascists can win the election – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
