When Giorgia Meloni became Italy’s first female prime minister last October her harshest opponents presented her as a danger to her country and to Europe.
There were warnings that politicians within her Brothers of Italy party were too openly nostalgic for the days of Benito Mussolini, the fascist dictator. Battles with the European Union and the financial markets were anticipated over her economic plans. Critics speculated about how long a leader with little government experience could hold together a three-party coalition that includes two of her biggest rivals on the right.
Instead Meloni, 46, has emerged from her unexpectedly smooth first 100 days in office, completed last week, as the most popular leader in the EU.
But that’s exactly what the danger is. If someone not signed up to the EU and progressive agenda is a popular leader then what value the EU and progressive agenda?
This is why people use the word”populist”. Things that are popular but not fashionable.
Populist relates to things that are popular but not with the right people.
Benito Mussolini, the fascist dictator.
Mussolini must’ve been the worst ever dictator; when the King asked him to resign as Prime Minister, he did…
‘too openly nostalgic for the days of Benito Mussolini, the fascist dictator’
But that’s exactly what the EU and the Greens are!!!
@MB… “Nail” – “right on the head!”.
I’m amused by how important the chattering classes seem to think the first 100 days are. In the U.S. they obsess over alleged internal power struggles among cabinet appointees and such. The citizens wait to see what policies are advanced and how their lives are being affected.
Jonathan
To be fair, Benny was also voted out by the Fascist Council, which of course just made matters worse ‘cos the Jerries then occupied the rest of the country.
April 25th is the national liberation day in Italy, when the population miraculously doubled to 50 million Fascists and 50 million non Fascists.
“Mussolini must’ve been the worst ever dictator; when the King asked him to resign as Prime Minister, he did…”
… then buggered off to Salò to start his own damn country, with blackjack and hookers. (Also, as Ottokring notes, Germans.)
Not that it worked for long, but he didn’t exactly take up golf.