Giorgia Meloni and Emanuele Pozzolo
Giorgia Meloni's party still has to fine-tune its “style” after the great victory in 2022
The story of the deputy Emanuele Pozzolo, from whose gun accidentally fired a shot that injured a man during the New Year's Eve party, attracted the attention of the media and sparked controversy and criticism towards Fratelli d'Italia, the party of which the deputy belongs. The fact is that Pozzolo is known for his anti-vax, pro-weapon positions and against the Constitutional Court ruling on mandatory vaccination. The fact that the shot came from his weapon is therefore an unfortunate circumstance that generates an image problem.
According to some observers, this episode could therefore damage the overall image of Fratelli d'Italia, which presents itself as a moderate and responsible right-wing party, and put its leader in difficulty Giorgia Meloniwho will have to decide whether or not to defend his deputy.
According to others, however, the affair will not have major repercussions on the electoral consensus of the Brothers of Italy, which could indeed exploit the situation to strengthen its message of defense of individual freedom and the safety of citizens.
In any case, the Pozzolo affair is a bit embarrassing for Fratelli d'Italia. My personal opinion is that it will not have a direct electoral impact, in terms of voting intentions. For several months now, public opinion has been oriented towards evaluating the current majority, also and above all in terms of its propensity to overturn it, on three fundamental issues, which are the economy of everyday life (cost of living, income, support for families and stimulus to businesses), security (understood as repression of the crimes that most affect the lives of citizens, certainty of punishment, restoration of the sense of legality), immigration and the effective integration of those arriving in our country.
On the other hand, the reflection on the image is there. Because this episode too, regardless of what the possible judicial implications will be, tends to make at least part of public opinion think (adding to other episodes of 2023) that, among the ranks of Brothers of Italy, there is a certain number of representatives (both parliamentary and government) who have not yet fully realized that being in the opposition is one thing, being in the government is another. Being in government requires greater attention to detail, to how one expresses oneself, to what one declares, to how one behaves even in informal or, as in the case in question, festive and carefree situations.
In conclusion, Giorgia Meloni's party still needs to fine-tune its “style”, after the great victory in 2022, and (for a portion of its members) grow in terms of institutional awareness. The 2024 European elections are close, and public opinion will also take into account the private behavior of the representatives of the major parties.
*political scientist and pollster
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