Describing the relationship among Giorgia Meloni, Marine Le Pen, and the leaders of the Brothers of Italy and the National Rally in one sentence is a challenge. As analyst Marc Lazar notes, this narrative is inherently complex. Meloni has managed to overshadow the divisions within the Italian far-right, turning a previously marginal bloc into the most influential force in terms of voter intention, while projecting public calm, strategy, and a shared adversary against European progressivism.
Yet this portrayal does not capture every nuance of the bloc. Le Pen’s example illustrates the tension. Recently, Matteo Salvini, head of the right-wing bloc and ally to Meloni, shared a message from the French far right saying, “Good luck, Matteo! Still and always with you!”—a sentiment not mirrored in Meloni’s communications, where silence often punctuates exchanges. Lazar notes that while Meloni and Le Pen share aims, their paths diverge on style, strategy, and values. Both advocate a stronger role for national states within a reforming European Union and focus on immigration and Islam in their rhetoric. Le Pen remains more secular than Meloni and, like Salvini, is affiliated with the European political group Identity and Democracy (ID). The Reformists within the European Conservative and Reformists group (ECR) reference this alignment with an Atlanticist current, though Salvini’s stance at times creates distance, limiting Meloni’s leadership representation in Europe within the EU framework.
‘friend’ Abascal
In conversations about Santiago Abascal, the Spanish far-right leader, sources from the Brothers of Italy speak of a personal bond that goes beyond formal alliances. This connection helped Meloni partner with Vox in regional campaigns in Spain, signaling expectations of similar electoral momentum there. In June, Abascal’s circle described a practical rapport with Meloni that extended into collaboration and shared campaigning strategies, hinting at a broader transnational pattern in Europe’s right-wing movements.
Journalist Andrea Palladino has been chronicling the Meloni-Abascal network, tracing links to figures associated with Donald Trump in the United States and Steve Bannon, the former Trump adviser. Palladino notes that Meloni and Abascal have met with Bannon on several occasions since 2018, a relationship that early on drew little attention, but has since become more scrutinized in the context of cross-Atlantic conservative collaboration. A 2019 press conference, involving Italy’s Correspondents Association, documented discussions about cooperation with the Brothers of Italy and Alternative for Germany, and revealed contacts with Vox dating back to 2017. Later, in 2020, Abascal, alongside Viktor Orban, defended Europe’s Christian roots at a conference in Rome where Meloni played a coordinating role.
unsolvable confusion
Today, Nathalie Tocci, director of the AI Institute, observes that Abascal has become Meloni’s preferred European partner, while Orban remains a cautious ally. There is a noted discomfort with endorsing Orban too openly since his status creates friction in some European circles. The relationship with Polish partners is described as lukewarm, even as ties to the Trump wing of the Republican Party hardened over the years. Tocci suggests that ongoing economic strain in Europe could intensify volatile dynamics if crises persist, potentially amplifying the appeal of a broader right-wing realignment should the United States under Trump maintain influence after the 2024 election.
Veterans of European diplomacy, such as former Italian ambassador Ferdinando Nelli Feroci, caution against overestimating daily gains from close cooperation with ultranationalist groups. In this view, ideological priorities often center on national interests rather than long-term unity, which can create quick internal frictions among European conservatives. Tocci emphasizes the risk that nationalist factions prioritize their own constituencies above collective European goals.
Conflicts are well known. A central debate concerns immigration. Southern European nations have long urged northern partners to share responsibility for migrants reaching southern shores, while northern states have shown varying levels of engagement. Feroci notes that Poland and Hungary appear reluctant to broaden their commitments at present.