Left Celebrates Threats Against Meloni

In a striking example of damned-if-you-do politics, Meloni faces condemnation from the Italian left as a dangerous extremist and alleged fascist, criticism from former President Trump for refusing to drag Italy into conflict with Iran, and now inclusion on a list of enemies published by an Iranian regime-linked newspaper—all for the same measured approach to foreign policy.

The contradiction appears absurd until one examines how propaganda and political hatred operate across ideological boundaries. Meloni has neither declared war on Iran nor offered Italian territory as a launching pad for military strikes. Instead, she has consistently maintained that Italy will not be drawn into a conflict that does not serve Italian interests.

As Feltri argues in Il Giornale, this is precisely what any prime minister should do: defend national sovereignty. Military bases on Italian soil are not portions of territory surrendered to foreign powers but operate under specific agreements, authorizations, and procedures. Italy is not a colony, and the Palazzo Chigi is not a regional office of the White House.

Trump may be disappointed that Italy has not more openly supported American military action against Iran. As United States president, he naturally thinks according to American interests. But Meloni, as Italian prime minister, must think according to Italian interests. She was not elected to please Trump, to placate the Iranian regime, or to satisfy the Italian left.

She was elected to govern Italy—and this appears to have become her unforgivable sin.

Those who firmly defend national interests inevitably displease all parties seeking to bend those interests to their own purposes. Washington wants greater military availability. Tehran wants a mute and submissive Europe. The Italian left wants Meloni perpetually guilty, regardless of her actions.

If she supports Western allies, she is a warmonger. If she refuses to enter war, she is disloyal to those allies. If she dialogues with Trump, she is his servant. If she opposes Trump, she has betrayed the West. The conclusion is predetermined before the facts: Meloni must be wrong by definition.

The publication of her image on an enemies list by a newspaper close to the Iranian regime represents a serious matter—not mere political cartooning but intimidation directed at the head of the Italian government and thus at Italy’s institutions.

Another element many pretend not to see enters the equation here: Meloni is a woman. A woman leading a major European country, a Western nation, a NATO member. A woman who decides, commands, does not ask permission, refuses intimidation, and occupies a role traditionally reserved for men. For a profoundly misogynistic regime like Iran’s, this detail is not secondary.

The Islamic Republic has for decades imposed obligations, prohibitions, repression, and control over women’s bodies and personal freedom. The regime considers women subordinate beings to be disciplined, covered, and punished for disobedience. A free Western woman at the head of state represents exactly what that system detests.

Yet from a certain Italian left, there will be almost nothing heard about this misogynistic component. The same left that manages to detect sexism in a joke, a wrong word, or a glance suddenly becomes blind before the structural misogyny of a theocracy. We have witnessed demonstrations where the Iranian regime was defended or justified in the name of anti-Americanism, anti-Zionism, and the usual rhetoric against the West—grotesque scenes of self-proclaimed feminists and progressives effectively siding with a system that brutalizes women daily.

The attacks on Meloni from all sides illuminate a fundamental truth: defending national sovereignty in the current international climate guarantees condemnation from those who would prefer Italy serve as either an American aircraft carrier or a compliant partner to authoritarian regimes. Her refusal to play either role marks her as a target for both.

With information from Il Giornale