Portrait of Giorgia Meloni
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Giorgia Meloni on Fascism and Far-Right Ideology

Distances from fascism (strong) Position evolved

Giorgia Meloni consistently frames her current political stance as mainstream national conservatism, emphatically denying any sympathy for fascism or undemocratic regimes. She specifically condemned the racial laws of 1938 as the lowest point in Italian history and a permanent shame for the nation, declaring this in her first speech to Parliament as Prime Minister in 2022-10-25. However, her political origins lie in the youth wing of the Italian Social Movement (MSI), a neo-fascist party, and critics point to her party's continued use of symbols associated with that past as evidence of ambiguity. Observers note that Meloni and her party, Brothers of Italy (FdI), have navigated this history by sometimes rejecting, and at other times minimizing, their fascist roots to rebrand the movement.

Timeline

  1. Meloni joined the Youth Front, the youth wing of the Italian Social Movement (MSI), a neo-fascist party.
  2. She became the national leader of Student Action, the student movement of the National Alliance (AN), the MSI's post-fascist successor.
  3. In her book, she identified as a right-wing woman and voiced opposition to conventional feminism.
  4. She rejected descriptions of her politics as far right, citing Roger Scruton as an influence and describing herself as a mainstream conservative.
  5. Meloni praised Giorgio Almirante, co-founder of the MSI who was a wartime collaborator, calling him a 'great politician' and 'a patriot'.
  6. Heading into the election, she stated that Italian fascism is history in an attempt to moderate her image for international partners.

Actions Taken

  1. Party Symbolism
    Meloni's party FdI retained the tricolour flame in its logo, a neo-fascist symbol associated with the MSI and the RSI, despite calls to remove it.
  2. National Commemoration
    Meloni stated that Liberation Day (25 April) and Festa della Repubblica (2 June) should be substituted with a national day focused on WWI victory, calling the former two 'two controversial celebrations'.
  3. Historical Endorsement
    She praised Giorgio Almirante, a historical figure linked to the Italian Social Republic (RSI), as a 'great politician' and 'a patriot'.

Key Quotes

"I have never had sympathy for undemocratic regimes. For any regime, including fascism."

Speech during confidence vote October 25, 2022 — Statement made to the Chamber of Deputies upon taking office as Prime Minister.

"And therefore... I have never had sympathy for undemocratic regimes. For any regime, including fascism. Exactly as I have always considered the racial laws of 1938 the lowest point in Italian history, a shame that will mark our people forever."

Speech during confidence vote October 25, 2022 — Elaborating on her rejection of fascism during her first address to Parliament.

"I am a right-wing woman, and I proudly support women's issues. In recent years we have had to suffer contempt and racism by feminists."

Book: Noi crediamo (We Believe) January 1, 2011 — Defining her conservative brand of feminism in her autobiography.

Related Positions

  • LGBT Rights Her opposition to same-sex marriage and adoption is cited by critics as evidence that her conservatism is fundamentally reactionary, contradicting claims of being merely 'mainstream'.
  • Nationalism Her adherence to 'Dio, patria, famiglia' ('God, fatherland, family') aligns with the national-conservative framing she uses to distance herself from historical fascism.

Criticism

Historians (e.g., **Ruth Ben-Ghiat**)

They observe that Meloni and FdI have been ambiguous about their fascist past, alternately rejecting and minimizing it, which aids in rebranding efforts.

**ANPI** (National Association of Italian Partisans)

Criticized Meloni’s support for naming a street after Giorgio Almirante in 2016 and 2020, citing Almirante's past as a wartime collaborator and editor of an antisemitic magazine.

Critics

Many observers described her projected 2022 election win as the first far-right-led government in Italy since Benito Mussolini.

Sources4

* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.