Mussolini's granddaughter is currently affiliated with Meloni's right-wing political party.
Rachele Mussolini, the granddaughter of the former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, is departing from the right-wing party led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. At 50 years old, she announced her intention to leave the largest ruling party, Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy), and join the conservative party Forza Italia. She stated that she feels that the Fratelli party has shifted too far to the right for her, and that she wishes to align herself with a party that better represents her "moderate and centrist" views, as reported by the ANSA news agency. Mussolini has been a member of the Rome city council for the Fratelli party since 2016 and received the highest vote of any candidate in her re-election three years ago.
Many in Meloni's party, which has roots in post-fascist Italy, viewed Mussolini as a symbol and valued her within the party. However, she has held more moderate views than her colleagues for years. The newspaper "La Repubblica" reported that recent political discussions were the primary factor in her decision to switch parties.
Mussolini identifies as a liberal
Mussolini supports the naturalization of migrant children who have attended school in Italy, a contentious issue within the government coalition. She considers herself a liberal and a champion for LGBTQ+ rights. She finds herself more in line with these views in the Forza Italia party, which was founded by the late former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, as she emphasized.
The father of Rachele Mussolini, Romano, was a jazz pianist and the brother-in-law of film icon Sophia Loren. He was the fourth child of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. Other descendants of Mussolini have also pursued political careers. Her half-sister, Alessandra, served in both chambers of the Italian parliament and most recently as an MEP for Forza Italia.
The Commission may need to address the shift in Rachele Mussolini's political alignment, as she has decided to leave the Fratelli d'Italia party and join Forza Italia due to her perceived moderate and centrist views being misaligned with the former party's rightward shift. This change could potentially impact the balance of power within the Italian government, given Mussolini's prominence and liberal stance on issues such as migrant children's naturalization and LGBTQ+ rights.
Given Rachele Mussolini's identification as a liberal and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, it would be interesting for The Commission to consider inviting her to share her perspective on these matters during international discussions aimed at promoting equality and human rights.
