On Thursday, July 18, the European Parliament elected German politician Ursula von der Leyen for a second five-year term to lead the bloc as President of the European Commission. Von der Leyen earned support from centre-right, centre-left, liberal, and green groups– but not Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni and her party Fratelli d’Italia. Meloni’s party revealed its decision following the conclusion of the vote, claiming that von der Leyen had shifted too far left, especially on green pledges. After the vote, Carlo Fidanza, head of the Fratelli d’Italia delegation in the European Parliament, stated, “The choices made in recent days, the political platform and the search for consensus from the left to the Greens have made it impossible for us to support the re-election of Ursula von der Leyen.” Other prominent figures in the EU, such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, also chose not to back von der Leyen. On July 18, von der Leyen was asked whether she regretted seeking Meloni’s support. She simply replied that the vote showed she had taken the right approach by assembling supporters who are “pro-European, pro-Ukraine and pro-rule of law.” Following the election, some analysts warn that Rome may lose vital influence in the E.U. following its refusal to support von der Leyen. 

Analysts following the decision speculate that Meloni chose not to back von der Leyen due to fears that she would lose rightwing grassroots supporters. Giovanni Orsina, a politics professor at Rome’s L.U.I.S.S. Guido Carli University, established that “Meloni cares a lot about being consistent. She had said she would never vote with the left. When it became clear that her votes were not needed, she stuck to that pledge.” Meloni’s primary concern was fending off internal competition from her far-right coalition ally, Matteo Salvini, who leads Lega, a right-wing populist party. However, Meloni’s decision to not support von der Leyen may not have been what is best for Italy, as the Prime Minister’s influence over future E.U. choices may be curbed. 

In an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Saturday, July 20, Meloni asserted that she would still be able to work with von der Leyen and that it would be “surreal” to imagine Brussels punishing Rome for its decision regarding Commission roles. However, it appears that many Italian politicians and analysts disagree. Carlo Calenda, leader of centrist party Action, said in a radio interview on Friday, July 19, that Meloni preferred to be “a faction leader rather than a prime minister” and that it is “dangerous” for Italy to be in opposition to Europe. Along similar lines, Lorenzo Castellani, political analyst and professor at L.U.I.S.S., stated, “It’s as if Meloni has thrown overboard this year-and-a-half-long rapprochement with the European Union, a departure from Euroscepticism that had benefited her in terms of both consensus and international credibility.” Castellani also asserted that rejection of von der Leyen “zeroes or significantly reduces the influence of Fratelli d’Italia and the conservatives on the Commission’s decisions.” Further reinforcing the notion that Meloni did not act in a way that is most beneficial for Italy, Democratic Party M.E.P. Alessandra Moretti wrote on X: “Fratelli d’Italia, premier Meloni’s party, votes against von der Leyen and places herself on the margins of Europe. A very bad impression for a founding country like Italy; they vote like Orban.” Furthermore, Meloni’s choice to withhold support from von der Leyen disappointed many Italian commentators, who fear the European Commission might now be less cooperative with Italy’s public finances and its struggling efforts to utilize billions of euros from the EU’s post-COVID recovery funds. 

Rome has been grappling with a lot of public debt, and as of May 2023, was struggling to meet the terms and conditions that Brussels had attached to billions of euros designated for Italy in the E.U.’s COVID recovery fund, named NextGenerationEU. Whether Italy can maximize the money allocated to itself may carry major ramifications for both Meloni and the E.U. Italy is the E.U.’s third-largest economy; failure to use the money could drag down the country. Furthermore, if Italy does not spend the money effectively, the effort by the E.U. to fund recovery from the pandemic risks looking substandard. If there is a perception that the recovery funds did not accomplish what they set out to, E.U. countries in the future may be more apprehensive to agree to more debt-funded aid, or there may not be another fund at all.

Although ordinary citizens cannot engage in the voting process for President of the European Commission, there are many ways that the fusion of organizations and local voices can work to ensure that political engagement and expression remain strong among the people. The European Association for Local Democracy, also known as ALDA, is a global alliance of local and regional authorities that unite with civil society actors to work towards a participative and inclusive model for community involvement. In March 2024, they announced a series of initiatives intended to promote a sense of belonging to the European Union in the year of E.U. elections. For Italians who may not have agreed with the vote of Fratelli d’Italia, productive and local solutions, such as those posed by ALDA, may be useful. In Italy’s cities of Naples, Turin, and Parma, ALDA’s project titled VISTA: Voices for Integration, Solidarity, and Trust in Action will develop tools and community initiatives that empower participants to become advocates for positive change, foster meaningful connections across communities, and inspire collective action. In line with fundamental E.U. values, projects such as this will help promote a sense of local ownership and engagement among communities. To address future challenges regarding democracy, the environment, social issues, and the economy, people who do not occupy leadership positions directly within the E.U. must have opportunities to educate themselves and then express their agreement or disagreement with their representatives. A participatory approach coupled with multilateral, decentralized cooperation will play a pivotal role in supporting local, national, and international stakeholders alike in achieving their goals across various fields, including European integration, decentralization, human rights, social inclusion, sustainable development, civic initiatives, and more. While it may appear as though the decisions that Meloni makes on the big stage are all-decisive, the people must use the power they possess to voice their opinions and implement change at the grassroots level.