Italy, The Latest European Nation Turning Hard Right.

September 26, 2022 Glen Turpening

The Italian far right appear to be poised to elect the first female prime minister. (NY Times)

Italy turned a page of European history on Sunday by electing a hard-right coalition led by Giorgia Meloni, whose long record of bashing the European Union, international bankers and migrants has sown concern about the nation’s reliability in the Western alliance. Results released early Monday showed that Ms. Meloni, the leader of the nationalist Brothers of Italy, a party descended from the remnants of fascism, had led a right-wing coalition to a majority in Parliament, defeating a fractured left and a resurgent anti-establishment movement. It will still be weeks before the new Italian Parliament is seated and a new government is formed, leaving plenty of time for political machinations and horse trading in a coalition with major differences. But Ms. Meloni’s strong showing, with about 26 percent of the vote, the highest of any single party, makes her the prohibitive favorite to become the country’s first female prime minister.

By Jason Horowitz, writing for 'The New York Times'

Italy is the latest nation in Europe to elect far right extremists with fascist party roots. Since WWII, European nations have held themselves out as bastions of acceptance and tolerance in the New World Order. That could be ending soon if other European nations follow suit and elect leaders from the far right who will inevitably tighten immigration and introduce newly restrictive policies. The continent is certainly at a crossroads.