The NYT Noted The “Italianization” Of European Politics

15.11.2026, 16:49

The example of Giorgi Meloni has shown that right-wing forces can lead a government and gain the recognition of their partners.

European countries are increasingly allowing far-right parties to participate in government, following in the footsteps of Italy, where this process began as early as the 1990s. This was reported by journalist The New York Times Jason Horowitz in an article about the “Italianization” of European politics.

The author traces the beginning of this process to former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. In 1994, he brought far-right forces into the ruling coalition, breaking the postwar taboo against their participation in governing the country. Berlusconi explained his decision by citing the need to secure the support of these parties to form a government. He later admitted that, in doing so, he had legitimized them.

“We let them into the government in 1994 and legitimized them,” Horowitz quotes Berlusconi as saying.

According to the NYT, the Italian political system allowed the far right to gradually emerge from political isolation and consolidate its hold on power. One result of this process was the election of Giorgia Meloni as prime minister in 2022. In her youth, Meloni was a member of a political movement linked to Mussolini’s legacy; however, she later managed to lead the government and improve relations with European partners.

The article notes that Meloni’s policies have generally aligned with those of moderate conservatives: she has maintained support for Ukraine and has not opposed the European Union, on whose financial aid Italy depends. At the same time, her time in power has shown other far-right politicians that they can rise to lead a country and gain recognition abroad.

Furthermore, in Spain’s upcoming elections, the far-right Vox party—which opposes immigration and the European Union—may join the government alongside the conservatives. Its representative, Carlos Flores, called Meloni a role model and expressed hope that the Spanish right would be able to follow in her political footsteps.

Right-wing and far-right parties have strengthened their positions in European politics in recent years. Following the European Parliament elections in June 2024, three political groups representing these forces won a total of 187 out of 720 seats. At the same time, right-wing parties joined the governments of several EU countries, including Italy, Hungary, Croatia, and Finland.

In 2026, this trend also became evident at the national level. In September, “Alternative for Germany” (AfD) won the state parliamentary elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, garnering 43.8% and 38.2% of the vote, respectively. Against this backdrop, the European People’s Party (EPP) began discussing how to respond to the rise of the far right: specifically, whether to maintain its current course or shift to the right on issues of migration and deportations.

At the same time, there is discussion in Europe about the possibility of cooperating with parties that were previously excluded from participating in government. In September, Giorgi Meloni’s ally Nicola Procaccini called on EU institutions to be prepared to engage with Marine Le Pen’s French “National Rally” in the event of her victory in the presidential election. He cited Brussels’ relationship with Meloni’s government as an example. However, the EPP has spoken out against such a rapprochement.

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