Italy under Meloni emerges as a refuge of stability in Europe

The year 2024 was marked by strong turbulence in two of Europe’s greatest political powers: Germany and France. In the midst of this, Italy, under the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, appears to be emerging as a “haven” of strong leadership and stability on the continent.

On the 16th, the German Parliament overthrew the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who lost a confidence vote after following the collapse of a fragile coalition, formed by Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals. As a result, the country will hold early general elections, which are scheduled for February 23.

In the same sense, French President Emmanuel Macron is facing a delicate phase in his administration after yet another government collapse.

Under pressure, the European leader had to quickly choose a former centrist ally to occupy the position of prime minister in place of the conservative Michel Barnier, nine days after a vote of no confidence brought down his Executive, the shortest in the country since the Second World War.

Macron’s appointment was a bet on the left wing of his alliance, in the hope of gaining the indulgence of the socialists, although this is not a guarantee of the stability of his administration.

Amid this chaos, Italy – once considered one of the most ungovernable countries in Europe – gains political prominence in the European Union (EU) and in relations with major world powers, such as the USA.

Under Meloni, one of the right-wing figures who gained most prominence in the two years, the country began to recover, presenting relatively positive economic results, in addition to a durable government.

Political allies hope that in the coming years the Italian leader will reach a more relevant position in negotiations within the EU and even in mediating conflicts involving Europe, such as the Ukrainian War, a conflict in which Meloni has supported Kiev against the invasion of Vladimir Putin’s regime.

In the European Parliament elections held in June, Giorgia Meloni’s party, the Brothers of Italy, obtained almost 30% of the vote, while its allies received around 9% each.

Furthermore, there is hope that she will have a central role in negotiations with the USA, which will be governed by re-elected president Donald Trump, and also has another figure close to the prime minister, billionaire Elon Musk.

This month, Meloni met with Trump and Musk after the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Despite the expectation of Italy’s greater appearance on the international stage, the prime minister has defended more national policies, aiming to improve the internal situation of the country which, like other nations on the continent, is facing a serious migration crisis.

One of the effects of Italy’s apparent stability over the last two years is an improvement in the national economy, which is still plagued by a suffocating national debt but is showing slow growth, with the support of EU recovery funds.

According to the newspaper The New York Timesunder Meloni, the country began to reduce state spending, exporting more technology and automotive products, while at the same time obtaining new foreign investment for the industrial sector.

According to estimates, the Italian economy has roughly matched the overall growth rate of the euro zone, a marked improvement for a country long seen as an economic burden on the continent.

In October this year, technology company Microsoft announced its biggest investment in Italy to date. In the same vein, Amazon announced plans to spend around US$1.2 billion to expand its infrastructure in the country.