Italy’s Meloni Is Criticized for Failing To Fight the Country’s ‘Patriarchal Culture’

Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, like her counterparts in the West, has to contend with a sometimes less-than-loyal opposition. Unlike her fellow G-7 leaders, though, the Italian right winger is burdened with a press that consistently acts as an opposing political party.As Italy’s first female premier, Ms. Meloni represents a role model for young women and an example of the nation’s impressive strides in shattering the glass ceiling. Moreover, she acceded to Palazzo Chigi by dint of her own efforts.No spouse, male authority figure, or political sugar daddy enabled Giorgia Meloni to become the president of Italy’s Council of Ministers. Nevertheless, following the death of a college student, Giulia Cecchettin — most likely killed by her ex-boyfriend, Filippo Turetta — in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Ms. Meloni has come under criticism.“You can’t deny that there is a strong patriarchal culture in Italy and that this hard right in power is not really fighting it,” is the way television journalist Lilli Gruberput it in respect of Ms. Meloni’s government regarding femicides.Signora Meloni, who found Gruber’s assertion “”vulgar, ridiculous, and grotesque,” posted a photo of herself, her daughter, her single mother, and her grandmother, underscoring that hers is a family led by strong women — not patriarchs. The prime minister added, “I don’t know how certain people can find the courage to instrumentalize even the most horrible tragedies just to attack the government.”Especially because such heinous crimes are rare in Italy. According to the European Union’s statistical office (Eurostat): Italy has the second lowest figure in Europe for the incidence of homicides in the total population: 0.48 per 100,000 inhabitants. Italy’s figure is higher only than that of Luxembourg (0.32), and is well below the EU average (0.89). Italy’s figure for homicides of women is also lower than the EU average (0.38 versus 0.66).Meanwhile, the actual political opposition — this time in the form of the leader of the center-left Italia Viva party, Matteo Renzi — continued playing the blame game in a recent Question Time forum of Parliament. In Mr. Renzi’s trademark bombastic fashion, the former prime minister excoriated the current one for presiding over an inflationary economy that isn’t growing, citing increases in the prices of staples such as bread, milk, and pasta.Mr. Renzi also accused Ms. Meloni of having agitated for Italy’s exit from the euro. “I don’t recall having said that I wanted to leave the euro,” asserted the Prime Minister. But “I do remember having said that we should remain in Europe with our head held high, which is what we’re doing.”Citing Mr. Renzi’s cozy relationship with the Saudi monarchy, Ms. Meloni also noted that “no one has a magic wand” regarding the price of oil. “But perhaps you can lend a hand with your pal bin Salman . . .”Ms. Meloni is no stranger to stinging retorts. However, she could afford to be cocky because two weeks ago Moody’s kept Italy’s sovereign debt rating at Baa3 — while upgrading Italy’s outlook to stable from negative. Thus spake Moody’s: “The decision to change the outlook to stable from negative reflects a stabilization of prospects for the country’s economic strength, the health of its banking sector and the government’s debt dynamics.”This constitutes a big win for both the premier and her government. Stability has long been the watchword for the indefatigable Giorgia. So there, Matteo Renzi. The normally taciturn Economy and Finance Minister, Giancarlo Giorgetti, hailed the news: “It’s a confirmation that despite many difficulties we are working well for the future of Italy,”Moody’s boosting of the Magic Boot’s economic prospects speaks more than a few volumes. Cognizant that the government’s 2024 budget is being scrutinized by all the parties, though, Mr. Giorgetti hopes that “the prudent, responsible and serious budget policies of the government…will be confirmed by parliament.”Italy’s debt is expected to increase only slightly to 141 percent of national output in 2025 from a projected 140 percent in 2023. And “lo spread” with Germany, the gap between the yield on the two nation’s sovereign 10-year bonds, has narrowed to less than 175 basis points from a recent high of 209 basis points in October.Mr. Renzi’s fulminations notwithstanding, inflationary pressures will ease as wages rise and significant EU investment funding spurs domestic demand. Recession will remain an ever-present threat across the European Continent in 2024. Italian economic growth may not surge until late 2024 or early 2025 — especially in light of a host of regional crises convulsing the planet.Still, with Mrs. Meloni having proven her NATO bona fides and established strong working ties with Brussels, Berlin, Paris, London, and Washington, Italy’s rightwing premier has reinforced Italy’s stability in the West — a story the opposition press just doesn’t want to cover.

Italy’s Meloni Is Criticized for Failing To Fight the Country’s ‘Patriarchal Culture’

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