Government
Berlusconi’s death becomes a challenge for the right-wing coalition
An Italian flag at half-mast flies in front of a message reading ‘Grazie Silvio’ on a Mediaset TV tower next to a large billboard. photo
© Luca Bruno/AP
Silvio Berlusconi recently distinguished himself as a mediator between the parties in Italy’s right-wing government. Without it, the “glue” is missing. This is a challenge for Prime Minister Meloni.
The death of political veteran and ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi poses a challenge to the Italian government’s cohesion. Because the head of the governing party Forza Italia, who died at the age of 86, was considered a moderator and arbitrator in the right-wing coalition in Rome, there is a risk of more discord in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s cabinet without him.
“It will definitely be more difficult because he managed to bring everyone together, to keep everyone in line and to think of everyone,” said Matteo Salvini, deputy prime minister and party leader of the right-wing populist Lega. In the coalition, Salvini’s Lega is significantly smaller than Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia, but slightly larger than Forza Italia, which was founded by Berlusconi and was led by him to the end.
When Meloni was asked on Canale5 whether the government would manage not to argue without the late political professional Berlusconi as the “glue” between the parties, she replied: “We owe him that.” But it won’t be easy. “He was the glue but also the most experienced of us.” Meloni conceded that it was reassuring to be able to ask Berlusconi – himself a former head of government for a long time – for advice.
Party has been losing voters for many years
Now she must do without her former mentor – and maybe soon without Forza Italia at all. “One thing is clear: the question arises as to how long Forza Italia will have a future without Berlusconi,” says Nino Galetti, head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s Rome office. The party has been losing voters and MPs for many years – only Berlusconi was able to keep it together thanks to his charisma and memories of earlier successes.
Political expert Galetti sees two scenarios in an interview with the German Press Agency: Either Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani manages to save the party for the time being. “Or Forza Italia will quickly fall apart because many MPs defect to other parties. A hard core is likely to remain, but it is then politically increasingly irrelevant,” says Galetti.
If Berlusconi’s party falls apart, Meloni could benefit if she manages to win voters over to her Fratelli. The chances are good: In the most recent parliamentary elections, it already took masses of votes from Forza Italia.