Giorgia Meloni: woman, mother, Christian... EU Parliament candidate?
07 May 2024
Giorgia Meloni is running as a candidate in the European elections in June. Wait, so is she stepping down as Italian prime minister? No. If she's elected, she won't actually hold a seat in parliament, as the role of Italian PM is not compatible with that of MEP. It's not illegal to be a candidate even without any intention (or ability) to accept an eventual electoral win.
Meloni is the only European head of government, yet not the only Italian politician, running for European elections in "a symbolic candidate" role. Elly Schlein, head of the centre-left Democratic Party, and Antonio Tajani, vice-president of the Council of Ministers, have done the same. Both are expected to decline if they were to win, as it would not be possible for them to keep their current roles and hold a seat in the European Parliament simultaneously.
 | Anna Credendino Why do politicians run for a position they know they won't actually hold? One of the reasons is that party leaders are generally well-known, and usually, they are also better-known than other members of their party. It's easier for electors to recognise their names and political orientation, making it more probable for candidates and their parties to receive votes. The other possible reason is that politicians want to bind the election results to their personality, for better or for worse. It's a gamble but a potentially fruitful one. Italian politics is notorious for being "personified," from political leaders' ownership and use of private television channels to politicians tying the success of a referendum to their stay in office. It's not the first time this strategy has been implemented, either: according to estimates, around 40 Italian politicians from across the political spectrum have tried their hand at this game. For example, Silvio Berlusconi won the 2009 European elections while also being Italy's PM. However, Giorgia Meloni might have taken it one step further this time: she has asked electors to vote for her by simply writing her first name on the ballot. Italian law permits voting for candidates by using a nickname, provided that said candidates are better known by their nickname than by their given name. In this case, however, experts are dubious. Giorgia Meloni justified this request by saying that most people simply call her Giorgia. This, she says, is important to her because it's proof that she's "one of the people," a fact she's proud of. Some constitutionalists and lawyers argue that her demand is simply a populistic move which might not be accepted by electoral offices. |
Welcome to The European Correspondent
Europe lacks true European media: in Germany alone, there are more media devoted exclusively to football than news outlets specialising on Europe. The established players mainly focus on Brussels and European institutions. The European Correspondent aims to change that. We cover the whole of Europe and write for a community of citizens who want to look beyond their own national borders. Without European journalism, there is no European civil society.
〉Read our manifesto
〉The stories we would like to write for you
Become a donor!
The European Correspondent is fully funded by its readers. We can only produce the newsletter with your support - and work towards the bigger project: building true European media. Donate now!
With your help, we can create true European journalism. Thank you!
We are non-profit. Every donated € goes directly into The European Correspondent.