Italy after the breakthrough: judging Meloni by government, not labels alone

Italy provides Europe's clearest test of what happens when a party widely classified as far right leads a national government. Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy entered office promising tighter migration control, conservative social policy and a stronger defence of national sovereignty.

Government has required choices that opposition did not. Italy remains embedded in the euro, NATO and the European Union; its budget is constrained by debt and European fiscal rules; and its migration policy depends on courts, neighbouring states and agreements beyond Rome's control. Coalition partners Lega and Forza Italia also compete for attention and influence.

That does not make ideology irrelevant. Proposals affecting migrants, schools, family policy and public broadcasting require scrutiny for both practical effect and equal-treatment safeguards. But the strongest assessment compares enacted measures, court decisions, spending and outcomes with campaign commitments.

Italy's lesson for the rest of Europe is not that radical politics becomes automatically moderate in office. It is that executive power leaves a record. Claims about sovereignty can be tested against agreements signed, budgets passed and institutions changed.