Many years, few achievements

I recently revisited what I had written about Giorgia Meloni four years ago (we are journalists; we are self-referential). I have obviously never voted for her, nor have I ever been one of those who think ‘we need someone like her’, but I did note: look, she is challenging us, and in a way she is exposing us (we are on the left; we are self-critical). I was struck by the fact that the TV make-up artists (everyone has their own connections, after all) adored her: “Who, Giorgia? Giorgia can do her own make-up, Giorgia asks us for advice when she comes here, Giorgia’s brilliant.” She secured—without winning a majority of the vote—a solid parliamentary majority, thanks to our Draghi-style strategists and their advisors (such as Il Foglio, for instance), but she also gave the impression of being straightforward, genuine, normal. No backroom deals. I cannot be blackmailed. I won not just for myself but for everyone with a story like mine. Yet the underdog has now been scheming at the most high-stakes political manoeuvre imaginable—a majority coup to regain power thanks to the electoral law—and has even miscalculated, trying to devise a clever ploy to patch things up whilst losing ground here and there. There she is, celebrating her longevity: because there is very little she has actually achieved worth celebrating. There she is, showing off to the left-wing men: slamming the Schengen door in Sánchez’s face, and mocking Bonaccini. Four years on, Giorgia Meloni remains the leader of the right, with the added bonus of power. Governing Italy – and making it a better place – is another matter entirely. The challenge for the left is not to end up like her.