Why were Italians swayed to the right by the Brothers of Italy?

The author argues that the Brothers of Italy (FdI) won the 2022 Italian elections not through ideology, but by promising security and a stronger state during a period of energy crisis and war. While the centre-right coalition shared a platform, FdI distinguished itself by prioritizing energy security, a presidential system, and cutting spending—including the abolition of green renovation grants—which aligned with voter priorities over climate action or immigration. Conversely, the centre-left failed by focusing on discrediting opponents rather than offering credible alternatives on economic intervention and social liberalism.

• The Brothers of Italy (FdI) achieved a significant electoral breakthrough in the September 25 elections, with a vote share of 24 per cent, which was six times higher than their result in the 2018 general elections.
• FdI distinguished itself from its coalition partners (Lega and Forza Italia) by focusing on four specific priorities: the construction of new gasifiers, transitioning Italy toward a presidential system, reducing judicial powers, and abolishing green renovation grants for homeowners.
• Voter priorities in summer 2022 shifted toward energy supply and economic stability, which were deemed 12 to 16 per cent more important than climate action and 18 to 25 per cent more important than taxation or immigration.
• The centre-left coalition failed to attract voters because the Democratic Party (PD) was perceived as less credible on core left-wing issues like the minimum wage, wealth taxation, and environmentalism compared to other parties, including the Five Star Movement.
• Giorgia Meloni's political approach is characterized as an attempt to implement an Anglo-Saxon-style political model, embracing neoliberalism and a stronger state to ensure security, drawing comparisons to Margaret Thatcher.

APA

Mattia, T. S. (2022). Why were Italians swayed to the right by the Brothers of Italy? Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/why-were-italians-swayed-to-the-right-by-the-brothers-of-italy/

Chicago

Mattia, Thomas Simon. Why were Italians swayed to the right by the Brothers of Italy? Green European Journal, 2022. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/why-were-italians-swayed-to-the-right-by-the-brothers-of-italy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mattia |first1=Thomas Simon |title=Why were Italians swayed to the right by the Brothers of Italy? |publisher=Green European Journal |date=24 November 2022 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/why-were-italians-swayed-to-the-right-by-the-brothers-of-italy/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mattia2022why, author = {Mattia, Thomas Simon}, title = {{Why were Italians swayed to the right by the Brothers of Italy?}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/why-were-italians-swayed-to-the-right-by-the-brothers-of-italy/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }