Yesterday, the new prime minister of Italy gave her maiden speech before Parliament. It was a magnificent speech. Here’s a link to the Italian transcript. Some passages have been google-translated. Excerpts:
Italy is fully a member of the West and its alliance systems. The European Union, the Eurozone, and the Atlantic Alliance were founded by Italy. They are also members of the G7. We are the heirs and protectors of St. Benedict, an Italian.
She took me to “St. Benedict.” More:
We are aware that young people are particularly concerned about the preservation of the natural environment. It will be taken care of. Roger Scruton, one the greatest masters of European conservatism thought, said that ecology was “the most vivid example of the alliance of who is there and who has been there and who will follow us”.
We are committed to protecting our natural heritage just as we are committed to protecting our cultural, spiritual, and tradition heritages, which we inherited from the fathers in order that they could pass them on to our children. A conservative is a more convinced ecologist that a moderate, but what makes us different from an ideological environmentalism is our desire to protect nature and man inside. Integrating economic, social and environmental sustainability. Assisting citizens and businesses in the green transition, without compromising our technological neutrality and new strategic dependencies. This is our approach.
Her last words were:
The liturgical memorial to John Paul II was held on the day that our Government took an oath before the Head of State. A Pontiff, a stateman, and a saint whom I had the privilege to know personally. He taught me something fundamental that I treasured forever. He said that freedom does not mean being able to do whatever you want, but having the right and authority to do what is best for you. I’ve always been free, and I will continue to be so.
It is worth reading. It’s almost entirely a policy speech. This is what it was meant to be. These passages that I cite are minor details. (See this Reuters highlights story for more information). She is more hawkish about Ukraine than I would, and she’s not strong enough to oppose abortion. She faces a very difficult task and is operating in relative weakness. We must extend grace. It’s still thrilling to be a conservative outsider in Italian politics to see a conservative prime Minister name-checking St. Benedict II and St. John Paul II and citing Roger Scruton. It is clear where her mind is. Meloni was sending signals. Is there a Tory prime Minister who has ever mentioned Sir Roger in a positive way in a speech? Recall that we have a small chain of coffeeshops in Budapest called “Scruton” and that Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, quietly attended Sir Roger’s London memorial service. Orban’s government presented Sir Roger with the Order of Merit in 2019. His remarks, PM Orban stated:
Sir Roger Scruton is a man who practices, not abstracts. He was not only opposed to communism philosophically, but he was also an active and ardent ally of anti-communist forces in Central Europe and Eastern Europe at the time the Soviet Union existed. We can’t even consider enlisting him in the many ways he helped us. He was such a man of practice, he was exiled from at most two spheres: communist Czechoslovakia or Western Academia. These are the two places you should be expelled if you don’t like them.
Professor Scruton was a man who stood firm with truth and reality. He helped us fight communism even though the Soviets still occupied Central & Eastern Europe. He did not support open societies blindly. He was awake enough to recognize its weaknesses and warn of its dangers. He was also forward-looking enough that he saw the danger of illegal immigration and defended Hungary against its unjust critics. Because he was a man of practice, the only thing that was consistent in his behavior was loyalty. He was and remains a loyal friend to freedom-loving Hungarians who understand that freedom depends on Christian civilization and nation states. Because he has stood by us for good and ill, he is a friend to Hungarians. These are only possible in practice.
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It’s clear that Europe now has two Scrutonians, Meloni from Italy and Orban from Hungary. It is not surprising that conservatives such as me look to Europe for new ideas to revive American conservatism rather than to Britain.
Watch Meloni’s speech (subtitled in English in English) at the 2019 World Congress of Families in Verona. You have to see and hear the speech to fully appreciate its impact. It is truly electrifying. Imagine if an American conservative politician spoke with such conviction and force? It’s possible!
Don’t believe the mainstream media to be fair about Meloni. Although I know I don’t have to, I feel the need to. French TV broadcaster, Claude Lemaire, introduced Meloni’s ascension to office with the following statement: “A new era of Italian politics, but not burning books, nor bridges …”..” It refers to the long-standing connections Meloni’s party has with the era Italian fascism, which Meloni strongly condemns. It is clear that Meloni, Orban and other politicians from France and Spain who are not part of the tame co-opted Right are treated by the media as fascists, just waiting for them to explode. When Meloni, Orban or other politicians are called “far right” by US or European media, they really mean “right-wing individuals who pose a threat to our interests.” Actually, in Hungary, the actual far-right party joined the left-led opposition coalition during the spring election campaign to overthrow Viktor Orban. Did the media inform you of this?
