Der Verband der Familienunternehmer lädt AfD-Vertreter ein und normalisiert damit eine Partei, die selbst international als extrem gilt. Die Lobbyisten untergraben damit demokratische Prinzipien.

The fragility of France’s cordon sanitaire against Le Pen is part of a worrying wider pattern, as centrist parties seek to revive their fortunes

Earlier this autumn, Giorgia Meloni laid out the strategic path to a new era of nationalist populism across Europe. Addressing a gathering of the French far-right party Identité-Libertés, which is led by Marine Le Pen’s niece, Marion Maréchal, Italy’s prime minister underlined the need to work towards “the unity of the right and the centre-right” adding “I hope that one day this can also happen in France … but that will depend on you.”

Ms Meloni knows of what she speaks. Her Brothers of Italy party, which has a lineage going back to postwar neofascist movements, became hegemonic under her leadership by mounting a reverse takeover of the Italian right. Less than a decade ago, it scored a marginal 4% in a general election. Currently, it stands at 31% in the polls. Forza Italia, the centre-right party founded by Silvio Berlusconi and a coalition partner in Ms Meloni’s government, is at 8%.

Angst vor „Indoktrinierung“ und „Gendertheorien“: An Schulen in Italien soll es Aufklärungsunterricht bald nur noch mit Einverständnis der Eltern geben.