Italian PM rallies far-right parties for 'turning point' EU vote
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told thousands of supporters of her party in Rome on Saturday that looming European elections would be a "turning point" when right-wing parties could triumph.
"We have a clear objective, we want to do in Brussels what we have done in Rome," said Meloni at the final rally of her Brothers of Italy party that topped national elections in 2022.
Meloni said she wanted to "build a right-wing government in Europe too and send definitively into opposition the left... who have done so much damage to our continent in all these years".
Addressing supporters in Rome's historic Piazza del Popolo, amid banners declaring "With Giorgia, Italy Changes Europe", she said that if Italian voters back her "Then we will have the necessary strength to attempt an undertaking that until a few months ago was unthinkable."
"And that is, after having made Italy change course, make Europe change course too."
Surveys predict Europe's far-right parties will gain ground in the EU vote, when around 370 million voters across 27 countries are called to cast ballots on June 6-9.
Mainstream players -- including the centre-right EPP of European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen -- are still expected to end up ahead, but such a surge could change the balance of power.
READ ALSO: From Swexit to Frexit: How Europe's far-right parties have ditched plans to leave EU
'Opposing visions'
Meloni railed against EU regulation and centralisation, saying Brussels must be "a partner of nation states, not a superstructure that suffocates" them.
"We are at a turning point and it is as if it were a sort of referendum between two opposing visions of Europe," she said.
"On the one hand, ideological, centralist, nihilistic, increasingly technocratic, less and less democratic Europe.
"On the other, our solid, courageous, proud Europe, which does not forget its roots."
Meloni is leader of one of two far-right formations in the European Parliament, the European Conservatives and Reformists group (ECR).
The other is the Identity and Democracy (ID) group, which includes the National Rally of France's Marine Le Pen and Meloni's coalition partner, Matteo Salvini's League.
READ ALSO: What's at stake in the 2024 European parliament elections?
There are tensions between the two groups, especially over attitudes to Russia, with Meloni's ECR strongly supportive of Ukraine.
Meloni said many had expected Rome to be the "weak link in Western unity", but stressed she had held firm.
Despite her rhetoric, Meloni has developed a pragmatic relationship with the EU, cooperating in particular with von der Leyen on issues such as migration.
Many of her supporters like her approach to world affairs.
"She has put Italy back in the centre of the international discussions," said Marco Arnaboldi, 64, who attended the rally.
But Elly Schlein, leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, noted that nationalism in Europe had a bad history.
"On this continent, nationalism has always produced only one thing -- war," she told a rally in Milan. "Long live anti-fascist Italy!"
'Warmonger' Macron
Meloni is standing in the EU election -- even if as a national lawmaker she cannot take up her seat -- making it a personal referendum on her time in office.
She defended her record, and railed against critics who accused the self-described "Christian mother" of limiting civil rights and politicising the RAI public broadcaster.
Meloni hopes to match her 2022 national vote share of 26 percent next weekend, well ahead of her coalition allies.
Salvini's League is aiming for around nine percent, and their third partner, the right-wing Forza Italia, is aiming for 10 percent.
Among opposition parties, the Democratic Party is polling at around 21 percent, with the populist Five Star Movement around 15.5 percent.
Salvini held his own rally Saturday in Milan, where he repeated Meloni's call for a "united right" in Europe.
He railed against French President Emmanuel Macron, who he called a "warmonger" for refusing to rule out sending troops to Ukraine.
The Italian government has not backed his comments, and has also not joined some NATO allies which let Ukraine use Western-donated weapons to strike inside Russian territory.
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"We have a clear objective, we want to do in Brussels what we have done in Rome," said Meloni at the final rally of her Brothers of Italy party that topped national elections in 2022.
Meloni said she wanted to "build a right-wing government in Europe too and send definitively into opposition the left... who have done so much damage to our continent in all these years".
Addressing supporters in Rome's historic Piazza del Popolo, amid banners declaring "With Giorgia, Italy Changes Europe", she said that if Italian voters back her "Then we will have the necessary strength to attempt an undertaking that until a few months ago was unthinkable."
"And that is, after having made Italy change course, make Europe change course too."
Surveys predict Europe's far-right parties will gain ground in the EU vote, when around 370 million voters across 27 countries are called to cast ballots on June 6-9.
Mainstream players -- including the centre-right EPP of European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen -- are still expected to end up ahead, but such a surge could change the balance of power.
READ ALSO: From Swexit to Frexit: How Europe's far-right parties have ditched plans to leave EU
'Opposing visions'
Meloni railed against EU regulation and centralisation, saying Brussels must be "a partner of nation states, not a superstructure that suffocates" them.
"We are at a turning point and it is as if it were a sort of referendum between two opposing visions of Europe," she said.
"On the one hand, ideological, centralist, nihilistic, increasingly technocratic, less and less democratic Europe.
"On the other, our solid, courageous, proud Europe, which does not forget its roots."
Meloni is leader of one of two far-right formations in the European Parliament, the European Conservatives and Reformists group (ECR).
The other is the Identity and Democracy (ID) group, which includes the National Rally of France's Marine Le Pen and Meloni's coalition partner, Matteo Salvini's League.
READ ALSO: What's at stake in the 2024 European parliament elections?
There are tensions between the two groups, especially over attitudes to Russia, with Meloni's ECR strongly supportive of Ukraine.
Meloni said many had expected Rome to be the "weak link in Western unity", but stressed she had held firm.
Despite her rhetoric, Meloni has developed a pragmatic relationship with the EU, cooperating in particular with von der Leyen on issues such as migration.
Many of her supporters like her approach to world affairs.
"She has put Italy back in the centre of the international discussions," said Marco Arnaboldi, 64, who attended the rally.
But Elly Schlein, leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, noted that nationalism in Europe had a bad history.
"On this continent, nationalism has always produced only one thing -- war," she told a rally in Milan. "Long live anti-fascist Italy!"
'Warmonger' Macron
Meloni is standing in the EU election -- even if as a national lawmaker she cannot take up her seat -- making it a personal referendum on her time in office.
She defended her record, and railed against critics who accused the self-described "Christian mother" of limiting civil rights and politicising the RAI public broadcaster.
Meloni hopes to match her 2022 national vote share of 26 percent next weekend, well ahead of her coalition allies.
Salvini's League is aiming for around nine percent, and their third partner, the right-wing Forza Italia, is aiming for 10 percent.
Among opposition parties, the Democratic Party is polling at around 21 percent, with the populist Five Star Movement around 15.5 percent.
Salvini held his own rally Saturday in Milan, where he repeated Meloni's call for a "united right" in Europe.
He railed against French President Emmanuel Macron, who he called a "warmonger" for refusing to rule out sending troops to Ukraine.
The Italian government has not backed his comments, and has also not joined some NATO allies which let Ukraine use Western-donated weapons to strike inside Russian territory.
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