Giorgia Meloni Is Orbánizing the European Union
Italy's Giorgia Meloni has been credited with overcoming Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán’s resistance to fresh EU funds for Ukraine. But far from moderating the Hungarian premier, Meloni is bringing Orbán-style far-right politics into the European mainstream.
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán talks with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni prior to the start of an EU Summit on March 23, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium. (Thierry Monasse / Getty Images)
Giorgia Meloni is facilitating the political rehabilitation of the European Union’s most famous blackmailer and autocrat, Viktor Orbán. Widely known as the Kremlin’s Trojan horse in the EU, Orbán had for months blocked a fresh tranche of EU aid to Kyiv — only to be allegedly talked out of this line by the far-right Italian premier. In a laudatory video, CNN took this as evidence that today we are seeing “Meloni’s moment” in Europe.
Yet we should be wary of such praise. For to laud Italy’s prime minister as an influential leader who can restrain the EU’s “bad guy” would just mean playing her game. After penetrating the European conservative establishment with her postfascist Fratelli d’Italia party, Meloni is now making room for her long-standing illiberal teammates. More than neutralizing Orbán, Italy’s far-right leader is Orbánizing both her country and the EU itself.
Appeasement With the Autocrat
Across December and February, European leaders gave their green light to the start of negotiations for Ukraine’s accession and to financial assistance for Kyiv. The move was subject to veto by any one EU member state — and was long held up by Hungary’s far-right leader.
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