In Rome's progressive neighbourhood, Meloni's victory causes anger and concern
Located just outside the ancient Aurelian Walls that surround the ancient part of central Rome, the neighbourhood of Pigneto is widely considered the most progressive part of the Italian capital.
On Sunday, far-right firebrand Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party won by a clear margin, and she is likely to become Italy’s first female prime minister.
The day after the elections, Pigneto’s streets, coated by the constant, drizzling rain, seemed emptier than usual. Bars and restaurants took longer to open, and the general vibe was that of defeat.
Sipping coffee at Liberia Tuba, a local feminist bookstore, Maria Grazia, 39, was not one to hide her disappointment.
Born in Pigneto, she voted on Sunday despite polling having widely predicted Meloni’s victory. She feels Italy’s conservative, anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ+ political forces have steadily grown stronger for decades. Meloni is simply their newest figurehead.
“It’s not a surprise for us. It’s not strange. This has been the situation with Italian politicians for a long time,” Maria Grazia told Euronews. “But we can fight against it.”
“It won’t be easy (for the far-right) because we are a big community, and we aren’t alone.”
Meloni’s meteoric rise – and attempted rebranding – saw her transition from a radical young activist of the MSI, a neo-fascist party founded in 1946 by the former chief of staff for Benito Mussolini, into a seemingly more palatable mainstream conservative.
Yet her victory is particularly painful for Pigneto locals.
Here, the streets are peppered with images and biographies of the neighbourhood’s Partisan rebels, who played a significant role in liberating Rome from fascists in World War II. Many of them paid the price of freedom with their lives
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