Right Melodi: Italian PM marries strategy and selfie (with Modi) diplomacy

Giorgia Meloni, the 47-year-old first female prime minister of Italy (so much catching up to do with India!), was indisputably the prima donna of the recent G7 summit. Dressed in a pink trouser suit, the tough-talking, hard-nosed politician effortlessly held her own with seven men while gamely smiling through photo ops. But what grabbed maximum eyeballs was Meloni’s upbeat selfie on Instagram with the special invitee to the 50th summit — our very own Narendra Modi. “Hello from the Melodi team,” posted a grinning Giorgia. And a meme fest broke out. Ooh, their chemistry, swooned admirers. Aah, their camaraderie! Ciao, bella!The obvious bonhomie between the Jodi No 1 is not new. Meloni and Modi had struck a great rapport from the time they first interacted in Delhi, then Dubai. The latest selfie sealed the pact between two strong-willed global leaders. Hi friends, from #Melodi pic.twitter.com/OslCnWlB86

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) June 15, 2024 Meloni, who recently got a big boost after her far-right party won European elections in Italy with a whopping 28% of votes, chose to share the spotlight with the newly minted third-time prime minister of a burgeoning democracy. Never mind the lower numbers, Modi is still the bossman. And Italy has serious business to further with India — telecom, critical minerals, AI, defence, and energy. The Indo-Italian strategic partnership cannot be ignored. And the power of digital diplomacy, via the Melodi selfie, was shrewdly harnessed to add heft to the mutually beneficial alliance.Meloni, who joined active politics at 15, may have been called ‘4th Most Powerful Woman in the World’ by Forbes, and featured on Time magazine’s most influential list but her ultra-conservative views have also got her labelled as ‘xenophobic’ and ‘heartless’. Meloni has frequently opposed same sex marriage, euthanasia and favoured a naval blockade to halt immigration. At G7, she had the reference to ‘safe and legal’ abortion watered down.Critics have often pointed out the many contradictions between her stated beliefs and personal life. Take her famous quote: “I am Giorgia, I’m a woman, I’m a mother, I’m Italian, I’m Christian.’’ As a mother to a young child whose father (flamboyant journalist Andrea Giambruno) is described as a partner (now an ex-), critics questioned her double standards. Her political party, Brothers of Italy (why not sisters?), won back favour during Covid times thanks to efficient management, despite the uncomfortable neo-fascist undertones of her party’s slogan, ‘God, Fatherland, Family.’ Leading American newspapers like The New York Times have run headlines saying that the ‘Far Right wants to take over. And Meloni is leading the way’.At the moment, however, Meloni is being hailed as kingmaker of the EU and a giant among the G7’s political dwarfs. There were also snide references to ‘Meloni and the six lame ducks’ as, one by one, the other leaders (from Macron to Trudeau) were shown their place in the pecking order. Since her election as Italy’s PM in late 2022, Meloni has surprised everyone with her pragmatism. She is also given credit for being a skillful negotiator and a diplomatic strategist par excellence.Europe is clearly experiencing a ‘Meloni Moment’ as Fareed Zakaria gushingly declared, while comparing Meloni to Angela Merkel. Hardly a fair comparison. Merkel was ‘one of the guys’, just smarter. Meloni’s body language and style ensure she will never be mistaken for one of the guys. This makes her a major game changer in the European political arena where a not-so-cosy Old Boys’ Club has been in operation for the longest time. She, along with France’s Marine Le Pen, are leading a rightward swing in the EU bloc. Meloni has made it clear — she is no decorative prop in Armani suits — she is boss lady.Her male counterparts are scratching their heads, wondering how to deal with Giorgia. For starters, Rishi Sunak needs to up his muah-muah game! He appeared so gauche when attempting a badly timed second kiss on Giorgia’s cheek. The gang of seven this year were beset by their own domestic travails, struggling with shaky economies and dented personal images. As for Meloni, she made it as much ‘India’s Moment’ as hers. And yes, her namaste, which also went viral, was no accident! India is clearly on top of Ms. Meloni’s agenda. And all things Italian are on India’s priority list as well now that Italy is no longer seen as Sonia Gandhi’s personal domain.Time to remind Giorgia about her old quote: “If I were British, I would be a Tory.” Cut to 2024: “And if you were Indian, you would be…?”