5 facts about Italian Georgia Meloni before bilateral talks with PM Modi

New Delhi:

Italy hosts the annual summit of the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies from June 13 to 15, and its prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has captured the Indian imagination after greeting world leaders with the traditional ‘ Namaste’.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Puglia in southern Italy to attend the G7 Summit outreach session and hold bilateral talks on a wide range of issues with world leaders on Friday. PM Modi will participate in a summit session titled Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa-Mediterranean, to be hosted by Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and accompanied by Pope Francis.

Here are 5 facts about Georgia Meloni

• Giorgia Meloni became Italy’s first female prime minister in October 2022. She leads the far-right Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia) party, which saw a rapid rise in popularity in the years leading up to her election. .
• Meloni’s political trajectory began at a very young age. She joined the Youth Front, the youth wing of the Italian Social Movement (MSI), a far-right party, at age 15. Over the years, she rose through the ranks, serving as Minister for Youth in Silvio Berlusconi’s government from 2008 to 2011.
• As prime minister, Meloni implemented a series of conservative policies in Italy, especially immigration control. His government has taken a tough stance on illegal immigration, implementing stricter border controls and repatriation policies. Furthermore, Meloni supports policies aimed at increasing the birth rate in Italy and promotes measures to financially support families.
• Meloni’s economic policies focus on reducing taxes, deregulating the economy and promoting Italian companies. She has expressed her opposition to austerity measures and criticized the European Union’s economic policies, defending greater flexibility in budgetary rules.
• Under Meloni’s leadership, Italy has fostered closer ties with other right-wing governments in Europe, particularly Hungary and Poland, while maintaining a critical stance toward the European Union’s bureaucratic processes. Meloni is also focused on strengthening Italy’s role in NATO, advocating a robust defense policy amid rising global tensions.