ROME: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Monday that attempts to “demonise” far-right voters were diminishing in effectiveness, in response to the strong electoral performance of France’s National Rally in the first-round legislative elections.
Speaking to the Adnkronos news agency, Meloni, known as the most right-wing Italian leader since World War II, commented on the results from France where Marine Le Pen’s National Rally secured a commanding 33.15 percent of the vote.
“The constant attempt to demonise and marginalise those who do not vote for the left is a tactic that fewer and fewer people are falling for,” Meloni stated.
Meloni extended congratulations to the National Rally and its allies for their decisive showing in the initial round of the high-stakes election. “On a political level, I congratulate the National Rally and its allies for their clear success in the first round,” Meloni said.
Meloni noted that Le Pen’s party had successfully formed alliances with the conservative Republican party.
“I observe a phenomenon that is also manifesting in Italy in various forms: the persistent effort to portray and isolate non-leftist voters,” Meloni remarked.
“This tactic serves to evade substantive debates on the merits of differing political proposals. However, its efficacy is waning as fewer people are swayed by it.”
