Atreju is the name of the young hunter and warrior from the land of Fantastica, the world imagined by Michael Ende in his youth novel The Neverending Story. He embarks upon a mission to fight the forces of the “Nothing,” a thick, destructive fog that consumes everything: not only creatures and life, but also values and ideals. In 1998, Atreju was also the name chosen by Azioni Giovani, the youth branch of Alleanza Nazionale (then led by Giorgia Meloni), for its annual festival. Meloni has said, “The Neverending Story marked my childhood. The struggle and victory of Atreju against the Nothing, an enemy that tries to wear down the imagination of youth by stripping it of values, still represents an inspiring symbol today. With this model in mind, I have always pursued my political passion.” Today, a quarter of a century later, that young leader of the Italian Right is the prime minister of her country.
This year the Fratelli d’Italia political Kermesse (a festival or show), held in the gardens of Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome from 14 to 17 December, has become an interesting event for the exchange of ideas within the conservative and pro-sovereignty world. On its stage were such dissimilar personalities as Elon Musk, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, President of Albania, Edi Rama, and politicians such as the Spaniard Santiago Abascal and the Romanian George Simion.
Sunak’s presence is a testament to Meloni’s rapport with the British prime minister, particularly on the matter of irregular immigration, but also on other key issues. Sunak said, “I have a very solid and strong friendship with Giorgia, which is now being consolidated. We are Atlantists, Conservatives, we support NATO, and we are against Russian aggression in Ukraine.” It should also be remembered that the Tories were one of the parties that formed the European ECR group, of which Giorgia Meloni is now president. The case of Edi Rama is quite different, as he is a social democrat leader; but the Albanian president is Meloni’s ally in the fight against irregular immigration, and Albania has agreed to the construction of two detention centres to house migrants trying to reach Italian shores.
Giorgia Meloni was accompanied by her two deputy prime ministers—Lega leader and infrastructure minister Matteo Salvini, and Forza Italia secretary and foreign minister Antonio Tajani—giving an unmistakable sign of centre-right unity not only at the head of the Italian government, but also in terms of the project of changing majorities in the European Union. The three head up different political families, but all three agree on the construction of an alternative to the current Brussels model.
That alternative is a model that works in Italy, has been put into practice in Finland, and might be instituted in other countries, such as Portugal, where Chega and the PSD could put an end to the socialist hegemony. The national deputy of VOX, Ricardo Chamorro, who was also present at Atreju, has said that the “right-wing coalitions in Italy are not self-conscious, and they have a clear front against the Left.” According to Chamorro, the Spanish Popular Party, despite forming regional and municipal governments with VOX, seems more interested in annulling Abascal’s party than in confronting the socialists.
In his speech, Antonio Tajani reaffirmed the liberal and popular centrality within the alliance, and he remembered Silvio Berlusconi:
He follows us from a little cloud up there. It is precisely in the epic of the descent into the countryside, and in the desire to have always worked for the cohesion of the centre right, that today’s history is anchored. And this is also where the orientation for the coming months lies. We want to build consensus for the centre right. … We recognise ourselves in the lowest common denominator of values, starting with freedom. … Even if we are in different families in Europe, I want to tell Matteo and Giorgia that you are here. I am here to cement the cohesion of the centre-right alliance that the people have chosen to govern this country not only for the remaining four years, but also for the next five.
This idea is shared above all by Matteo Salvini, who is growing closer to Meloni, both politically and on a personal level. In part of his speech, he dispelled malicious rumours about a false rivalry between the two, which have been encouraged by the Left and the like-minded media: “Some newspapers have written: Salvini comes to Atreju as one in second place. I say second place is fine, especially if it is second place to her.” This is not the first time that Salvini has addressed this issue, as from the outset he has shown himself to be both more than close on a personal level and in tune with the government team. Salvini noted that,
At the beginning of the government we knew each other less. With Giorgia and Antonio, I have been comforted by the results of these 13 months. But above all, when we sit in the Council of Ministers, the nice thing is that we are among friends, not allies. This is the difference between a political alliance and sharing values. When there is an alliance of convenience, the first wind blows the tree over.
He was also clear about the common goal: “To send home the leftists in Europe.”
Giorgia Meloni gave a long speech in which she spoke of budgets; of changes to the law on evictions to expel squatters because “in Italy private property is sacred”; of the future law against surrogacy so that “surrogate wombs will soon become a universal and prosecutable crime in Italy and also abroad”; and, of course, of the business of illegal immigration: “Allowing thousands of desperate people to entrust their hopes to unscrupulous people who put their lives at risk—that is being against migrants. We will continue to work to end human trafficking and deaths at sea.”
Meloni also referred to the centre-right alliance that is making these changes possible, referencing another wonderful novel, The Lord of the Rings:
Tolkien was right: the ring is insidious, it flatters you, it deceives you, it tries to make you lose your sense of reality. But there is one thing that is stronger and it is called Company: good people who accompany you in silence, each doing his part and ready to pick you up, so that you can get on with your work. That ring will never have us; we are the same people we were yesterday and the same people tomorrow. In the end we will carry out our task, each in his role as one man.
Atreju 2023 has indicated the Italian centre-right’s intention to bring its model of unity government to the European Union, beyond the natural differences of its members who nevertheless agree on some common objectives. The challenge ahead is to transfer this successful model to Brussels as an alternative model that recovers the founding principles of a European Union increasingly distant from its origins. Then, like the young hero’s triumph in The Neverending Story, Europe might be saved from the “Nothing” that seeks to sweep away everything in its path.
Atreju 2023: Saving Europe from the “Nothing”
Giorgia Meloni with Matteo Salvini (La Lega) and Antonio Tajani (Forza Italia) at the Kermesse
Atreju is the name of the young hunter and warrior from the land of Fantastica, the world imagined by Michael Ende in his youth novel The Neverending Story. He embarks upon a mission to fight the forces of the “Nothing,” a thick, destructive fog that consumes everything: not only creatures and life, but also values and ideals. In 1998, Atreju was also the name chosen by Azioni Giovani, the youth branch of Alleanza Nazionale (then led by Giorgia Meloni), for its annual festival. Meloni has said, “The Neverending Story marked my childhood. The struggle and victory of Atreju against the Nothing, an enemy that tries to wear down the imagination of youth by stripping it of values, still represents an inspiring symbol today. With this model in mind, I have always pursued my political passion.” Today, a quarter of a century later, that young leader of the Italian Right is the prime minister of her country.
This year the Fratelli d’Italia political Kermesse (a festival or show), held in the gardens of Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome from 14 to 17 December, has become an interesting event for the exchange of ideas within the conservative and pro-sovereignty world. On its stage were such dissimilar personalities as Elon Musk, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, President of Albania, Edi Rama, and politicians such as the Spaniard Santiago Abascal and the Romanian George Simion.
Sunak’s presence is a testament to Meloni’s rapport with the British prime minister, particularly on the matter of irregular immigration, but also on other key issues. Sunak said, “I have a very solid and strong friendship with Giorgia, which is now being consolidated. We are Atlantists, Conservatives, we support NATO, and we are against Russian aggression in Ukraine.” It should also be remembered that the Tories were one of the parties that formed the European ECR group, of which Giorgia Meloni is now president. The case of Edi Rama is quite different, as he is a social democrat leader; but the Albanian president is Meloni’s ally in the fight against irregular immigration, and Albania has agreed to the construction of two detention centres to house migrants trying to reach Italian shores.
Giorgia Meloni was accompanied by her two deputy prime ministers—Lega leader and infrastructure minister Matteo Salvini, and Forza Italia secretary and foreign minister Antonio Tajani—giving an unmistakable sign of centre-right unity not only at the head of the Italian government, but also in terms of the project of changing majorities in the European Union. The three head up different political families, but all three agree on the construction of an alternative to the current Brussels model.
That alternative is a model that works in Italy, has been put into practice in Finland, and might be instituted in other countries, such as Portugal, where Chega and the PSD could put an end to the socialist hegemony. The national deputy of VOX, Ricardo Chamorro, who was also present at Atreju, has said that the “right-wing coalitions in Italy are not self-conscious, and they have a clear front against the Left.” According to Chamorro, the Spanish Popular Party, despite forming regional and municipal governments with VOX, seems more interested in annulling Abascal’s party than in confronting the socialists.
In his speech, Antonio Tajani reaffirmed the liberal and popular centrality within the alliance, and he remembered Silvio Berlusconi:
This idea is shared above all by Matteo Salvini, who is growing closer to Meloni, both politically and on a personal level. In part of his speech, he dispelled malicious rumours about a false rivalry between the two, which have been encouraged by the Left and the like-minded media: “Some newspapers have written: Salvini comes to Atreju as one in second place. I say second place is fine, especially if it is second place to her.” This is not the first time that Salvini has addressed this issue, as from the outset he has shown himself to be both more than close on a personal level and in tune with the government team. Salvini noted that,
He was also clear about the common goal: “To send home the leftists in Europe.”
Giorgia Meloni gave a long speech in which she spoke of budgets; of changes to the law on evictions to expel squatters because “in Italy private property is sacred”; of the future law against surrogacy so that “surrogate wombs will soon become a universal and prosecutable crime in Italy and also abroad”; and, of course, of the business of illegal immigration: “Allowing thousands of desperate people to entrust their hopes to unscrupulous people who put their lives at risk—that is being against migrants. We will continue to work to end human trafficking and deaths at sea.”
Meloni also referred to the centre-right alliance that is making these changes possible, referencing another wonderful novel, The Lord of the Rings:
Atreju 2023 has indicated the Italian centre-right’s intention to bring its model of unity government to the European Union, beyond the natural differences of its members who nevertheless agree on some common objectives. The challenge ahead is to transfer this successful model to Brussels as an alternative model that recovers the founding principles of a European Union increasingly distant from its origins. Then, like the young hero’s triumph in The Neverending Story, Europe might be saved from the “Nothing” that seeks to sweep away everything in its path.
José Papparelli is a journalist and analyst of political, social, and cultural life. Writer for various Spanish, European, and Latin American media, he is the director of the radio program “Una Hora En Libertad.”
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