Italy's Right Clings to the Past — and Falls Flat
The country’s right-wing coalition unveiled a policy manifesto that can essentially be summed up as patriotic talk and a cocktail of misguided tax cuts.
Election posters featuring an image of Giorgia Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy party, reading "Ready To Revive Italy."
Source: Bloomberg
In 2001, Silvio Berlusconi was running for prime minister and produced what became a symbol of an epoch. On prime-time national TV, he signed his political manifesto promising to cut taxes, increase pensions and carry out a massive investment program. He went on to win that election and remained a central figure in Italian politics until the euro crisis forced him out in 2011.
More than 20 years later, the Italian right is making similar promises. But revisiting the past is usually disappointing.