Italian far-right leader says she is ready to govern

Italian far-right leader Giorgia Meloni says she and her allies have asked the nation’s president to give her the mandate to assemble a new government

Italian far-right leader Giorgia Meloni said Friday she and her allies asked the nation’s president to give her the mandate to assemble a new government.

Meloni and her allies met briefly with Sergio Mattarella on Friday. Some observers had expected that she would then announce that he had given her the mandate to try to form a government. Instead, she she said only that the coalition had proposed her as the next premier. An official indicated Mattarella’s decision might be announced later.

If Meloni succeeds in forming a government, Italy would have its first far-right-led government since the end of World War II. Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party has neo-fascist roots. She would also be the first woman to become Italian premier.

Her main coalition allies, former Premier Silvio Berlusconi and Matteo Salvini are longtime admirers of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Meloni staunchly backs Ukraine in its defense against the Russian invasion.