Giorgia Meloni’s Italy: An authoritarian drift? (Part 1)
Giorgia Meloni’s Italy: An authoritarian drift? (Part 1)
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In this edition of Europe Rendezvous, we travel to Italy, one of the European Union’s founding members, to examine how the country’s democratic institutions have come under increasing pressure. It may be the season of la dolce vita, but life has been far from sweet for migrants, women seeking abortions in parts of Italy, and journalists facing growing political pressure on the media. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni leads a coalition of conservatives and the far right, and as the 2027 elections approach, her government has been accused of seeking greater influence over the judiciary, the media and the electoral system.
In our first report, Renaud Lefort profiles Italy’s first female prime minister, speaking with her longtime mentor, Gianfranco Fini, a pivotal figure in the history of the Italian far right.
We also speak to Paolo Borchia, a Member of the European Parliament from the Patriots for Europe group and a member of The League, one of Meloni’s coalition partners. We ask whether participating in government has come at the cost of The League’s credibility and support in the polls.
From the opposition, MEP Dario Nardella of the Socialists and Democrats offers a critical assessment of Meloni’s four years in office, focusing in particular on her economic record and her government’s use of the EU’s post-pandemic recovery fund, of which Italy was the largest beneficiary.
Finally, our reporter Luke Brown examines the state of media freedom in Italy, as the cross-party parliamentary committee responsible for overseeing the public broadcaster RAI resigns and the country falls to 56th place in Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index.
Editor-in-Chief: Caroline de Camaret
Presented by Armen Georgian. Produced by Renaud Lefort.
Visual direction and Camera: Stéphane Bodenne and Renaud Lefort.
Reports by Luke Brown and Renaud Lefort.
“Europe Rendezvous” is a magazine programme broadcast on FRANCE 24 in English, on YouTube and on france24.com.
