Giorgia Meloni Charts a Path for the Right

What’s happening: Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is increasingly regarded as a figure for Western populist-right politicians to imitate: someone who can unify Europe’s right and pursue conservative governance at home.

Why it matters: Adopting Meloni’s political strategy and populist policies may enable Europe’s right to stay for the long haul instead of tasting flash-in-the-pan electoral success.

“Small” nationalism: Before Meloni, most populist-right leaders were “small nationalists” in the sense that they focused solely on their own countries, with no grander civilizational vision. Meloni changed that by seeking to create populist-right alliances across borders.

• Battle for Middle Earth: Meloni, who grew up attending Hobbit camps, reportedly views Western civilization as J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, with Western nations coming together to defend against foreign threats.

Policy realist: Meloni has been a pro-Ukrainian and pro-NATO advocate, bucking some hard-right voices.

• An imperfect leader: However, Meloni’s missteps and controversial choices have begun to affect her reputation both at home and abroad. Despite being accused upon taking office of being a “neo-fascist,” even conservative critics believe she governs too much to the center.

• Conservative bona fides: At home, Meloni has pushed socially conservative policies, from restrictive migration to traditional family values. She has also sought to increase the power of the prime minister, gaining cover for these moves because of her support for NATO and Ukraine.