The far-right Brothers of Italy party, led by Giorgia Meloni, 45, is expected to make a splash in Sunday’s Italian legislative elections.
Five years ago, the party was considered a fringe phenomenon with only 4.4% support. Now, opinion polls suggest that the Italian Brothers could win up to 24% of the vote in the election and thus become the country’s largest party, ahead of the centre-left Democratic Party.
First lady
If she manages to climb to the top, Meloni will be historic in many ways. Not only will she become Italy’s first female prime minister, but she will also become Italy’s first far-right head of state since dictator Benito Mussolini ruled the country from 1922 to 1943.
Italy has a complicated electoral system, and unlike Norway, it’s not just voter votes that decide who gets away with the prime ministership. Parties are entirely dependent on forming coalitions with others, and in this year’s election campaign, right-wing populists fared better than their more moderate opponents.
Meloni has allied himself with far-right League party and party leader Matteo Salvini, who, like Meloni, wants to crack down on illegal immigration. She has also joined forces with former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s party, Forza Italia.
