Reactions to the Italian election: from horror to jubilation

In Brussels and Berlin, the results on the election result in Italy are mixed. While left-wing parties were appalled, it was welcomed by the AfD. The Union is divided.

The election result in Italy triggered different reactions and even controversies within parties: According to its Secretary General Mario Czaja, the CDU favored a different election outcome in Italy. “We would have wished for a different election result,” Czaja told RTL/ntv. It is important to the CDU that there is a commitment to democracy and to the foundation of democratic values, as well as to Europe.

Söder criticizes Vice Weber

CSU boss Markus Söder criticized his deputy Manfred Weber, who is also chairman of the European People’s Party (EPP), for his support of Silvio Berlusconi and his conservative party Forza Italia in the election campaign in Italy. “It is not the task of the EPP and bourgeois parties to enable right-wing national governments,” he said.

The CSU has “always made it clear that we are building a firewall to right-wing, neo-fascist groups,” said Söder. “That is also the overwhelming opinion in the CSU and will remain so.” Forza Italia is not the partner that the CSU considers correct.

Union politicians recommend dialogue

The CDU member of the Bundestag Jana Schimke, on the other hand, criticized the negative reactions after the election results in Italy. “I find it undemocratic to meet an election winner with such rejection and threats before the new government has even been formed and the first decision has been made,” she told Der Spiegel.

The Hamburg CDU boss and member of the Bundestag Christoph Ploß told the newspaper that the election result certainly had Italy-specific reasons, but should also be understood by all parties in the democratic spectrum in Germany as a wake-up call. On the question of dealing with Forza Italia, Ploß said: “I think it’s important not to tear down bridges, but to keep in touch.”

Von der Leyen is combative

Regarding possible sanctions against Italy, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: If things go in a difficult direction, the EU Commission has tools. What is meant is the so-called rule of law mechanism, which has so far been used against Hungary. The country is threatened with a cut of several billion euros in subsidies. Italy is also still expecting money from the Corona aid fund. So far, however, the mechanism can only be used if funds have been misused. It is not suitable as a remedy against – from Brussels’ point of view – unwelcome governments.

AfD welcomes result

“We’re celebrating with Italy!” Wrote the AfD member of the Bundestag, Beatrix von Storch, on Twitter late on Sunday evening. Her party colleague Malte Kaufmann tweeted: “A good day for Italy – a good day for Europe.” Referring to the recent elections in Sweden, in which the right was also successful, von Storch wrote: “Sweden in the north, Italy in the south: left-wing governments are something of the past.” The AfD federal chairman Alice Weidel also congratulated Meloni on Twitter.

SPD, Left Party and Greens appalled

SPD parliamentary group leader Achim Post spoke of a “bitter day for everyone who wants a strong and democratic Europe”. The fact that Italy is likely to be governed “by an alliance of neo-fascists, right-wing nationalists and right-wing populists” is a heavy burden for cohesion in Europe. “This is not good news for Italy and not good news for the whole of Europe,” said Greens leader Ricarda Lang.

The German Left Party sees the election victory of the far-right Fratelli d’Italia in Rome as catastrophic. “The last days of a liberal and free Italy ended yesterday,” said Federal Managing Director Tobias Bank in Italy. A neo-fascist party took power in Italy. “This is a black day for Italy and a black day for all of Europe.”

Left co-chairman Martin Schirdewan sees the shift to the right in Italy as the result of years of austerity policies, also emanating from the former Italian government under Mario Draghi: “Constantly growing inequality in society, the privatization of public services, cuts in the social sector, that is In short: The absolute dominance of the market over the community has laid the ax on the social cohesion of society in Italy as well as in many European countries and that is exactly the breeding ground on which the extreme right thrives successfully.”

The FDP Europe expert Alexander Graf Lambsdorff assumes that cooperation with Italy in the European Union will become more difficult. However, the winner of the election, Meloni, has recently made more constructive comments about the joint sanctions against Russia, Lambsdorff said in the ARDmorning magazine.

With information from Birgit Raddatz, ARD studio in Brussels