Atlantic Sentinel

Tag: Brothers of Italy

  • Meloni’s Plan for Asylum Seekers Makes Sense

    Giorgia Meloni
    Brothers of Italy party leader Giorgia Meloni makes a speech in Cagliari, September 2 (Fratelli d’Italia)

    Giorgia Meloni’s call for a “naval blockade” of illegal immigration across the Mediterranean Sea has got plenty of attention, but the likely future prime minister of Italy has another, more humane idea: create European asylum application centers in North Africa, so migrants — many don’t qualify for asylum — don’t attempt a futile and perilous sea journey.

    Italy receives an unusually high (for Europe) share of asylum seekers from safe African countries: Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia. Unless they fear persecution in their home country for their political beliefs, religion or sexuality, those asylum seekers are usually sent back.

    That doesn’t mean they leave. Immigration authorities don’t have the manpower to escort every rejected asylum seeker back home. Some countries refuse to take their people back. A share — we don’t know how many — remain in Italy illegally. Others try for asylum in another European country.

    Since illegal aliens cannot legally work, many end up either exploited or as criminals, and often homeless. (more…)

  • Right-Wing Parties Win Italian Election. Turnout Lowest in 100 Years

    • Right-wing parties won the election in Italy on Sunday.
    • Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the largest right-wing party, Brothers of Italy, would become the country’s first woman prime minister.
    • She would lead the first right-wing government since Silvio Berlusconi stepped down in 2011, and the most right-wing government since the end of World War II.
    • The elections were called when Prime Minister Mario Draghi lost the confidence of parliament in July. He did not run for reelection.
    • All 400 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 200 elected seats in the Senate were contested.
    • Turnout, at 64 percent, was the lowest since Benito Mussolini rigged the election of 1924. (more…)

  • What to Expect of Italy’s Next Government

    Giorgia Meloni
    Brothers of Italy party leader Giorgia Meloni speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, February 26, 2022 (Vox España)

    Italy’s next coalition government will likely consist of three right-wing parties: the Brothers of Italy, League and Forza Italia (Forward Italy) are polling at close to 50 percent support, which should be enough to give them control of both chambers of parliament.

    For the first time, the Brothers of Italy, who split from Forza in 2012, would place first and provide the prime minister: Giorgia Meloni.

    The (formerly Northern) League, led by Matteo Salvini, won the election in 2018, but conservatives were disappointed when it formed a government with the left-populist Five Star Movement, and even more disappointed when Salvini left the government in a failed bid to force snap elections.

    Forza has been in third place since their leader, Silvio Berlusconi, lost reelection in 2013.

    The parties have released a joint manifesto for the election in September that is light on detail but nevertheless provides the best clues about what a right-wing government might do. Here are the main points. (more…)