Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s Prime Minister and leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, addressed a rally via video link organized by Spain’s far-right Vox party in Madrid on May 19. The event featured other speakers, including Argentina’s president Javier Milei and American Conservative Union chair Matt Schlapp.

Meloni, who has been in power since winning the parliamentary elections in September 2022, has emerged as a significant figure in European far-right politics. Under her leadership, Italy has seen economic recovery post-pandemic, although the country faces underlying vulnerabilities such as high public debt, rising poverty levels, and low GDP growth compared to other major EU economies.

Recently, Meloni has shown ambitions to influence European Union policies, aiming to disrupt the long-standing centrist dominance in the European Parliament. The European elections from June 6-9 could be pivotal as her party is projected to expand its representation substantially. Despite these aspirations, Meloni’s administration has been critiqued for its right-wing stances on social issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and migration, which differ from her reassuring Western-aligned foreign policy.

As Italy prepares to host US President Joe Biden and other G7 leaders, Meloni’s political maneuvers both domestically and abroad continue to draw attention. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s openness to potentially include Meloni’s party in a broad coalition signals possible shifts in EU power dynamics. Nonetheless, Meloni’s balancing act between far-right domestic policies and her pragmatic, pro-European stance remains under scrutiny.