Giorgia Meloni is expected to be elected prime minister of Italy
(Picture: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)Giorgia Meloni is set to become prime minister of Italy, as her Brothers of Italy party is widely expected to win the election, based on exit polls.
Meloni formed an alliance with fellow right-wing parties League and Forza Italia and this coalition is expected to win enough seats to form a government.
The Brothers of Italy party, should its leader be elected, would be Italy’s most right-wing government since World War II.
The political party is rooted in the neofascist Movimento Sociale Italiano (MSI), which was formed by former members of Mussolini’s regime, and the Brothers of Italy logo even features the MSI symbol of a flame in the colours of the Italian flag. However, Meloni has denied that her party has any links to fascism.
But ahead of Meloni’s expected election as leader of Italy, what does being far-right mean?
What does far-right mean?
People with right-wing political views generally support tradition and keeping things the way they are, or restoring things to the way they were. In the UK, the Conservative Party is right-wing.
However, far right refers to people who hold extreme right-wing views. Far-right politics is also referred to as extreme right, radical right, or right-wing extremism.
Collins Dictionary defines “the far-right” as “the more extreme supporters or advocates of social, political, or economic conservatism or reaction, based generally on a belief that things are better left unchanged.”
Far-right views can include white supremacism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, anti-semitism, and anti-democratic attitudes.
What is fascism?
Fascism is a political ideology which is authoritarian in nature, and emphasises nationalism and often racism and xenophobia. As a governmental system, it is led by a dictator who oppresses the opposition.
Collins Dictionary defines fascism as “a set of right-wing political beliefs that includes strong control of society and the economy by the state, a powerful role for the armed forces, and the stopping of political opposition.”
Historical examples of fascist parties include Benito Mussolini’s National Fascist Party in Italy and Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi Party).
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word fascism has Italian origins, coming from the word fascio (plural fasci) which means literally “bundle” and figuratively “group”.
