How the European Parliament’s president is studying Italy’s prime minister to sharpen her own power play in Brussels

Introduction

When European Parliament President Roberta Metsola spent a full day behind closed doors with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome this spring, staffers described the meeting as “informal strategy exchange.” Translation: Metsola, the Maltese lawyer‑turned‑Europhile, wanted a front‑row seat to the rapid ascent of Europe’s most influential hard‑right leader. With the 2026 EU institutional reshuffle on the horizon, Metsola is sharpening her political instincts—and Meloni’s realpolitik offers a potent tutorial.

1. Two Women, One Rising Axis

Metsola and Meloni share a timeline of firsts: Metsola became the youngest-ever head of the European Parliament in 2022; Meloni became Italy’s first female prime minister the same year. Ideologically they sit on different benches—Metsola in the centre‑right European People’s Party (EPP), Meloni steering the nationalist European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)—yet both champion disciplined messaging, a knack for social media, and unapologetic ambition. Their alliance reflects a new Mediterranean axis able to sway Brussels dossiers on migration, energy and institutional reform.

2. The ‘Meloni Playbook’

Meloni’s rise from 4 percent polling in 2019 to Palazzo Chigi in 2022 hinged on three tactics Metsola now studies closely:

• Narrative Control*— Simple slogans (“God, Homeland, Family”) propelled Brothers of Italy beyond fringe status.

• Crisis Co‑option — Meloni turned migrant‑ship footage and energy‑price spikes into arguments for national sovereignty.

• Negotiation by Risk — She signals readiness to veto EU deals, then trades backing for concessions—most recently on the Migration and Asylum Pact.

Sources say Metsola’s advisers dissected these episodes to learn how a lone female leader reshaped the EU agenda despite lacking a Franco‑German budget.

3. What Metsola Wants

Beyond admiration, Metsola has concrete goals: maintain her presidency past 2026 or pivot to a top Commission portfolio. She needs votes from both her EPP base and the swelling ECR camp. Emulating Meloni’s crisp messaging on border control could court centre‑right voters anxious about irregular arrivals via the central Mediterranean—a topic where liberal parties risk appearing aloof. Yet Metsola must balance this with her pro‑rule‑of‑law credentials, especially after Meloni’s clashes with press‑freedom NGOs.

4. A Symbiotic Relationship

Meloni benefits, too. The Italian premier seeks to normalise her image in northern capitals and reinforce the idea that ECR can be a governing—not merely blocking—force in the next European Parliament. Metsola’s willingness to engage signals that mainstream conservatives no longer treat Meloni as radioactive, bolstering Italy’s leverage in budget and energy talks.

5. Fault Lines and Risks

The alliance is fragile. Metsola’s EPP colleagues fear diluting their brand by embracing a leader whose party flirts with post‑fascist nostalgia. Meanwhile, liberals and Social Democrats warn that Metsola’s outreach legitimises ECR’s push to roll back climate targets. If Metsola adopts Meloni’s refusal to back a stronger Emissions Trading System, she could lose green votes needed to pass legislation. Diplomats also note that Metsola’s native Malta has clashed with Italy over search‑and‑rescue protocols—an unresolved tension hovering behind the smiles.

6. Implications for Brussels Power Math

Polling ahead of the 2025 European Parliament election suggests the EPP and ECR together could secure 330 of 720 seats—enough to form a conservative‑nationalist working majority if moderates splinter. Metsola’s bridge‑building might thus prefigure a post‑vote coalition that sidelines Socialists and Greens. Expect her to test this arithmetic in upcoming plenary battles over the AI Act rollout and defence‑industrial subsidies.

Conclusion

Roberta Metsola’s political apprenticeship under Giorgia Meloni is less about ideology than about mastering power’s mechanics. In studying the ‘Meloni Method,’ the Parliament president hopes to convert moral suasion into tactical leverage, all while retaining her pro‑European sheen. Whether the lesson plan produces a centrist‑right synthesis or a sharp turn toward nationalist pragmatism will shape Brussels politics for years to come. One thing is clear: class is very much in session, and Professor Meloni is setting the syllabus.