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In a world of stiff suits and scripted summits, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is standing out for her familiarity, warmth and an almost cinematic charm. But is it all just theater? Or is this her most authentic political power move yet?
From Pope Leo XIV and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin to Italian Prime Minister Meloni and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, intense maneuverings are underway to see if the peace process can be relaunched in Rome. There are both religious and judicial hurdles to overcome.
Giorgia Meloni’s visit to the White House is another delicate diplomatic mission, as she tries to keep relations between Europe and Donald Trump from vanishing altogether. Ultimately though she can’t have it both ways.
Elon Musk is hosting Alice Weidel in an interview on X, having tried to convince the American tech billionaire she’s not an extremist. But who is Weidel, really? She’s described the Germans as “slaves” of the U.S. and quotes the infamous text of a nationalist philosopher that is a dog-whistle for the far right in Germany.
Donald Trump’s reelection marks a new social coalition that found no voice in traditional political forces, writes Italian historian Giovanni Orsina in daily La Stampa. The utopian-liberal order of the 21st century failed to deliver on its promises and it succumbed to a boisterous, combative new right.
In the next few days, the first migrants to land in Italy will be transferred to the controversial new overseas migrant detention centers on Albanian soil. Human rights organizations warn of the way migrants to be treated fairly in them.
While the fentanyl epidemic has hit the U.S. the hardest, Italy is not immune. The drug has been circulating in the country for at least 10 years and is becoming more widespread due to a series of international factors. Some are sounding the alarm, but questions remain over how to address the problem.
While the French left managed to unify and win parliamentary elections, Italy’s left appears stuck in a situation of constant conflict and uncertainty. And that leaves right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni firmly in control.
Ahead of the second round of French parliamentary elections, a possible far-right takeover forces the youth around the world to face a future that might be different from the one they were hoping for.
As Marine Le Pen’s party National Rally (RN) is on track to become the largest party in the French parliament, Giorgia Meloni will have to look out for a new leader that might threaten her undisputed leadership of the far right at the European level.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban officially announced the creation of a new group in the European Parliament, the “Patriots for Europe” to gather extremist parties that have been sidelined by the establishment. It can also be a bridge to Trump and Putin.
Jordan Bardella may become the first far-right prime minister in France since World War II. Is this good news for Vladimir Putin?
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s declaration labeling Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as “extreme right-wing” is a politically charged move. But is this assessment fair, given Meloni’s strong support for Ukraine and responsible economic decisions — or is there some demonizing and distracting at play?
As the upcoming French and American elections show, the Western democratic model is being put into question — both externally by revisionist powers, and internally.
The G7 countries meeting in Italy are examining a proposed $50 billion loan to Ukraine, a way of preempting possible future obstacles: Trump in the U.S. and the far-right in France. The wildcard is Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to dissolve Parliament and call special elections caught his international partners by surprise. The stakes are high, especially for Ukraine.
There’s the risk both for over and underestimating the unprecedented gains of far-right parties in the European elections.
This week, 360 million voters across the EU will elect 720 Members of the European Parliament. Nationalist and far-right forces are expected to gain ground. At stake is the Europe’s ability to implement its security and competitiveness agenda over the next five years.
Argentina’s erratic right-wing president Javier Milei, seems to emulate Trump and Bolsonaro. But he has taken his bad diplomacy to a new level after last week’s spat with Spain’s Socialist party prime minister Pedro Sánchez.
In Germany, support for the far-right AfD party is dwindling while its French counterpart, the Rassemblement National of Le Pen, is leading the polls. Opposed trajectories that stem from very different approaches: German radicalization vs. French “dédiabolization.”
Ahead of the June’s EU elections, Europeans are deeply divided between fears of migration and of the Ukraine war, between emotion and reason. How can the EU respond in the most united and credible manner to the Russian threat?
Cecchettin was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend in northern Italy, a murder case that quickly turned into a political movement. The supposed motive is chilling in what it says about the current state of male-dominated society.
Pope Francis appears incapable of grasping that for Ukraine to “raise the white flag” would be to concede defeat, and accept the victory of evil over good. Is he a poor theologian or a poor global strategist, or both?
The far-right AfD party chief has threatened a “Dexit” referendum, where Germany (Deutschland) leaves the European Union. But just ask the British people what they think about how that turned out. Right wing leaders in Italy and France seem to have understood the message.
Last week, Italy was caught in the uproar of Giorgia Meloni’s break-up, a swirl of TV scandal and political controversy. But now that the dust is settled, what does this mean for a single mother standing strong, though alone, on the political right.
The European migrant crisis is once again making headlines, this time from the small island of Lampedusa, Italy. It exposes not only the far right’s eagerness to exploit the issue of immigration, but also the delicate balance of power in electoral terms.
Before being deported from Italy, undocumented migrants are detained in Repatriation Detention Centers, where they are often sedated with powerful psychotropic drugs, according to this investigative report by Altreconomia, in collaboration with Inkyfada.
Artist aleXsandro Palombo’s mural of Italian politicians Elly Schlein and Giorgia Meloni as pregnant, tattooed activists elicits conversation about policies surrounding female bodily autonomy.
Redemption, homeland, people, and above all nation: Giorgia Meloni uses these terms to express the idea of a power projected into the future, part of a precise political strategy.
From the UK to Italy to the U.S., the declarations by politicians that they only want to stop illegal immigration become meaningless if there are virtually no ways to request asylum before leaving home and arriving in a foreign country.
Until a few weeks ago, Alfredo Cospito was a faceless holdout from a largely forgotten movement serving a life sentence for two separate attacks in the name of anarchism. But now his hunger strike has become a rallying cry for anarchists across Europe following a series of attacks protesting his prison conditions.
Many lives have been lost, rights trampled and dreams crushed. But through the haze, the world took the right turn on many fronts this past year, from Ukraine to Iran to China. Trying to take stock amid the suffering.
Acclaimed Italian writer Roberto Saviano is in court this month facing defamation charges from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. With this essay, Saviano stands by his words, and his right to use them.
Vladimiro Zagrebelsky, an Italian jurist and former judge on the European Court of Human Rights, says Italy’s new government’s blocking rescued migrants from coming ashore is a likely violation of international law, and indication of what it thinks of basic human rights.
Meloni serving her full five-year term will be a minor miracle in the famously fickle world of Italian politics, whose political instability the UK now appears ready to outdo.
October 1-2 OUR WEEKLY NEWS QUIZ What do you remember from the news this week? 1. What was the top percentage claimed by pro-Russian forces to have voted in favor of annexation in the referendums in the four occupied regions of Ukraine? 2. Giorgia Meloni will become Italy’s first female prime minister. What is […]
It’s no longer accurate to say the “rise” of the far-right — fascism is already here. After Trump’s election, a group of prominent analysts gathered to discuss how the left could fight back. Six years later, their insights are more urgent and insightful than ever.
After far-right politician Giorgia Meloni emerged as the top vote-getter in Italy’s election, the question on everyone’s lips is what will her relationship be with the European Union. The risk of her pushing for an Italian exit from the EU is slim.
Welcome to Worldcrunch’s LGBTQ+ International. We bring you up-to-speed each week on a topic you may follow closely at home, but can now see from different places and perspectives around the world. Discover the latest news on everything LGBTQ+ — from all corners of the planet. All in one smooth scroll! This week featuring: Cuba […]