Biden says Giorgia Meloni’s victory in Italy is a WARNING for American democracy

President Biden warned the US could follow Italy’s path after it elected far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni last week.

“You just saw what happened in Italy in that election,” Biden said Wednesday night during a Democratic Governors’ Association fundraiser at a home in Washington, DC. ‘You see what is happening in the world. The reason I’m bothering to say that is that you can’t be optimistic about what’s happening here either. I don’t want to overdo it, but I don’t want to underestimate it either.’

Meloni, Italy’s first-ever female prime minister and the first far-right leader since World War II, won the high office with about 26 percent of the vote.

Her right-wing alliance, which includes Matteo Salvini’s far-right League and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right Forza Italia, will gain control of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies with about 44 percent of the vote.

Meloni, who has been outspoken in her campaign against migrants, the EU, abortion and the LGBT community, has been criticized as the leader of a party with neo-fascist roots and heir to Benito Mussolini.

Her victory is just the last victory in Europe for a far-right party – the Brothers of Italy have roots in Italian fascism – after a victory for Swedish Democrats in that country’s vote two weeks ago.

Meloni – who will be named prime minister by the Italian president at a later date once the final count is complete – will lead a right-wing coalition with differing views on key issues, as Italy grapples with a mountain of debt that leaves it vulnerable to weakness in the global economy .

Meloni, Italy’s first-ever female prime minister and the first far-right leader since World War II, won the high office with about 26 percent of the vote

While Meloni supports the West’s policy on Ukraine, coalition partners Matteo Salvini and Silvio Berlusconi have questioned the use of sanctions against Moscow and have expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin in the past.

Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán and Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally party, celebrated Meloni’s victory in opposition to the “anti-democratic and arrogant” European Union, as Le Pen put it.

Like much of Europe, Italy faces rampant inflation as an energy crisis linked to the conflict in Ukraine looms this winter.

The Italian economy, the third largest in the eurozone, is also saddled with a debt of 150 percent of gross domestic product.

Brussels and the markets are keeping a close eye on concerns that Italy – a founding member of the European Union – may be the last country to bend hard to the right, less than two weeks after the far right outperformed Sweden’s elections.

Meloni will take over from Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, who pushed Rome into the center of EU policy-making during his 18-month term in office and forged close ties with Paris and Berlin.

Meloni, who has been outspoken in her campaign against migrants, the EU, abortion and the LGBT community, has been criticized as the leader of a party with neo-fascist roots and heir to Benito Mussolini

Biden has been lamenting the loss of the Republicans of yesteryear for months and is reminiscent of GOP lawmakers such as John McCain and Bob Dole. He has attempted to label 2022 conservatives as “Ultra MAGA Republicans.” He told the crowd at the fundraiser that the current GOP is a “different breed of cat.”

Biden has likened Donald Trump’s move to “semi-fascism,” noting the former president’s refusal to accept the results of the last election, and warning at the fundraiser that if Republicans become more governmental, take state legislature and federal election seats, they could compromise the integrity of elections for years to come.

He cracked down on his predecessor’s “incompetence” and denounced the GOP’s economic proposals from people like Sen. Ron Johnson, Wisc., and Rick Scott, Fla., as ways to destroy the social safety net.

“We have to win,” Biden said. “We must maintain control of Congress, to say the obvious.”