The effects of Trump’s victory on the Italian right
The landslide victory Donald Trump in the primaries of Iowa with 51%, the so-called caucus, designates him as the more than likely Republican challenger to Joe Biden for them US presidential elections of November.
A not unexpected victory over Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, but not of these proportions.
The governor of Florida had poured a lot of resources into the event and the result was not sensational even against the former US ambassador to the UN, a paltry 2%, 21.2% against 19.1%.
The effects of this victory they naturally reverberate a world level, given the political and military weight of the USA. The first effect was that of weaken further Ukrainian leader Zelensky.
The reason is easy to say. Biden must pursue Trump on his congenial policy, America First, which however also means that the war in Ukraine is certainly no longer a priority for the USA with a public opinion that doesn’t care, and in fact the White House’s first move has already been to block the aid by having the United Kingdom replace it. A proxy war that “strengthens Russia”, as Zelensky said, who for his part certainly could not imagine infinite aid from the American giant, which is also now busy managing a much more dangerous war, the Palestinian one.
In this framework the “Trump effect”, especially affects the Italian right, where the Lega e Brothers of Italy they insistwith few exceptions, essentially on the same electoratebut with one notable difference.
While Giorgia Meloni necessarily had to “Atlantize” itself and align itself with Washington and Brussels, Matteo Salvini was able to maintain a more reserved position on the issue. Support for Ukraine has never formally disappeared but the electorate knows that Salvini had excellent relations with Moscow until before the war.
And among the centre-right voters there is a historically significant area philo-Putinian who in June this year must decide who to vote for.
It is therefore not difficult to imagine that the leader of the League has more tactical maneuverability in this situation while Giorgia Meloni is more restrained sull’asse Washington-Bruxelles.
The leader of FdI historically has an excellent relationship with Donald Trump as does Salvini but with one fundamental difference: the leader of Lega has an anti-EU position which the Prime Minister cannot have in his attempt to forge ties with the European People’s Party and President Ursula von der Leyen, with whom he also has an excellent personal relationship.
And if we add to this the aforementioned Trump effect it is clear how Salvini’s position is more coherent for the relevant electorate.
So far, however, the FdI leader has been good at remaining balanced in an undoubtedly difficult position to manage and after European the centre-right will be able to present itself united again to implement the legislative programme.
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