Premier Giorgia Meloni said today that next month’s European elections may usher in a new ruling majority in the EU.
Meloni believes there will be a new ruling majority in the EU after the June European elections. She believes it would replace the grand coalition between the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) and the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) that has dominated EU institutions in recent years.
“Today there is room to build a different majority in the European Parliament, and for different policies,” Meloni, the leader of the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, told Rai radio. She added, “if things should not go like this, I have already shown that, with common sense, Italy can lead the way on many policies.”
The potential for agreements between various European political groups is a hot topic ahead of next month’s EU elections. At the EU level, FdI is part of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, which Meloni presides over.
Last week, Meloni noted that she had several things in common with Marine Le Pen, the parliamentary party leader of France’s right-wing National Rally (RN) group. Meloni is standing the European elections, though would not take up her seat if she wins.
Make-up of ID and ECR
Le Pen’s RN is part of the Identity and Democracy (ID) group, which includes Italy’s League party, one of the coalition partners in Meloni’s government. Deputy Premier, Foreign Minister, and centre-right Forza Italia (FI) leader Antonio Tajani, a member of the EPP of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, has expressed openness to a post-election alliance with the ECR but not with ID, describing Le Pen as extremist.
ID recently expelled Alternative for Germany (AfD) after an AfD member said that not all the SS were bad. ID includes Geert Wilders’ Dutch Freedom Party and the Austrian Freedom Party. The ECR includes Erik Zemmour of France’s Reconquest, Vox of Spain, and the Law and Justice party of Poland.
