Unable to counter Prime Minister Meloni’s conservative reformation of the Italian establishment, critics are resurrecting Italy’s long-dead bogeyman, Benito Mussolini, yet again.
Yet the newest wrinkle is that Ms. Meloni is now accused of wielding the levers of the state broadcaster RAI to promote a slick new version of fascism.
Given the premier’s transparency in governance — as well as her market-oriented economic bent — the absurdity of such a charge should be self-evident.
Yet the calumnies continue.
Recently, the author of “M: Son of the Century” — an international bestseller chronicling Il Duce’s rise to power — Antonio Scurati, was dropped from the RAI 3 channel’s show “Chesarà.”
The cancellation of Mr. Scurati’s segment does not constitute a muzzling. Nor was it censorship of any sort. The show’s host, Serena Bortone, read the full text of Mr. Scurati’s prepared monologue on the air. It was published in several Italian newspapers and websites.
Nevertheless, the author maintains that Ms. Meloni “stubbornly stuck to the ideological line of her neo-fascist culture of origin: she distanced herself from the indefensible brutalities perpetrated by the regime (the persecution of the Jews) without ever repudiating the fascist experience as a whole.”
Despite such defamatory rhetoric, the prime minister included the entire monologue on her Facebook page. Does that sound like a budding Benito Mussolini?
The Meloni government’s support of Israel also came under fire during the nationally televised San Remo Music Festival — a show that is must-see TV in Italy — when singers Ghali, who is a contestant of Tunisian descent, and Dargen D’Amico trilled about migrant deaths and the situation at Gaza.
Though neither enunciated the words “Israel” or “Gaza,” Mr. Ghali did in fact blurt out “Stop the genocide.” In a press release underscoring the network’s unflinching support of Israel, RAI’s chief executive Roberto Sergio said: “Every day our newscasts and programs tell the tragedy of the hostages in the hands of Hamas, and will continue to do so.”
Almost on cue, though, the Partito Democratico’s Elly Schlein assembled a sit-in protest at RAI’s headquarters at Rome. Concocting what she hopes will be a stinging epithet, Ms. Schlein said: “Enough with Tele-Meloni and a public service demeaned to the level of a spokesperson of the government propaganda.”
Ms. Meloni does not control RAI. She isn’t lurking backstage at every major news broadcast or entertainment event. The President of the Council of Ministers doesn’t disseminate detailed talking points to the press. Despite what the left, along with some disgruntled RAI employees, maintains, Ms. Meloni has not cast a Duce-like censorship net over all that the Italian people see and hear.
One of the perks of power in Italy has long been the widely accepted practice that gives wide latitude to the ruling party’s ideological point of view. That includes setting the national agenda and staffing the public network’s organization chart.
Now that the center-right occupies Palazzo Chigi, however, Ms. Schlein and Company bristle with indignation. Italy’s left, though, isn’t alone in castigating Ms. Meloni. According to a European Green party candidate, Terry Reintke: “The media is the guardian of democracy. We cannot accept that Meloni is trying to turn it into a megaphone for her government. We stand with journalists in Italy and across Europe who are courageously fighting for press freedom and truth.”
And no Meloni-bashing fest would be complete without the writer David Broder. Mr. Broder acknowledges that this may indeed be Ms. Meloni’s Moment, citing Fareed Zakaria’s CNN broadcast depicting the Italian premier as the center right’s version of the powerful and influential Chancellor Merkel.
In a recent New York Times opinion piece, he notes: “Ms. Meloni is already an inspiration to the European far right. As the head of the right-wing coalition in Italy, she has overseen attacks on L.G.B.T.Q. groups and migrant-rescue organizations, a takeover of the public broadcaster and a continuing attempt to change the Constitution to expand executive power.”
And that’s what really rankles the likes of Mr. Broder, Ms. Schlein, and the global left. Ms. Meloni, ignoring accusations that she is transforming Italy’s public broadcaster into “Tele-Meloni,” or a megaphone for the far right, is forging ahead with her long-stated goal of reforming the Italian Constitution.
She officially crossed the political Rubicon during the primetime evening program Porta a Porta on April 4 — calling this campaign “the mother of all reforms.”
“This is not a reform about me … this is a reform about what happens next,” she told host Bruno Vespa. “This is about the future.”
