Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently received an award and used the opportunity to express Italy’s firm support for those defending their freedom and sovereignty in a time of chaos. Meloni emphasized that Italy’s support for these values is not only morally right but also in the best interest of the country and the Western world as a whole. She stated that as a politician, one must choose between being a leader or a follower, setting a course or not, and acting for the benefit of the people or solely based on polls. Meloni made it clear that her ambition is to lead and not to follow.
Meloni highlighted the narrative promoted by authoritarian regimes that often care for their citizens, which revolves around the idea of the inevitable decline of the West and the perception that democracies fail to deliver on their promises. She warned against the manipulation of reality by a malicious army of foreign trolls and bots aimed at exploiting Western contradictions. Meloni asserted that she will defend Western values against supporters of authoritarian regimes, stating that the West should not be ashamed of its values. She also cautioned against the risks of self-deprecation and arrogance, which could undermine the credibility of the West as an interlocutor.
According to Meloni, there is a danger that the West may become less credible if it continues to exhibit a growing disdain that leads to the violent erasure of symbols of Western civilization in both the United States and Europe. She criticized the West for sometimes thinking of itself as superior to others, which could lead to a decrease in its credibility. Meloni stressed that the so-called global south is demanding more influence, while developed nations in the South are forming partnerships autonomously. She warned that autocracies are gaining ground on democracies, and there is a risk that the West may become a closed and self-referential fortress.
In an effort to change this course, Italy has decided to launch the Mattei Plan for Africa, a model of equal cooperation aimed at establishing a new and sustainable partnership with African countries. Meloni explained that this initiative is part of Italy’s strategy to reverse the trend of the West becoming less credible and increasingly isolated. By working with African nations on equal terms, Italy hopes to build a stronger partnership that benefits both parties. Meloni’s speech emphasized the importance of defending Western values and addressing the challenges facing the Western world in a time of global uncertainty and growing influence of authoritarian regimes.
