Angela Perini (1981-) was an Italian Brothers of Italy politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy from 26 April 2021. Perini was affiliated with the neo-fascist faction of her party, whose lineage dated back to the National Fascist Party of Benito Mussolini, and her premiership was marked by hostility to immigration (one of her first acts as Prime Minister was to enact an immigration ban), extreme Euroscepticism, and the erosion of Italy's democratic government.
Biography[]
Angela Perini was born in Naples, Campania, Italy in 1981, the daughter of a local Italian Social Movement politician. Perini was raised in a devout Roman Catholic family which displayed framed photographs of both Pope John Paul II and Benito Mussolini in their household, and she became involved with the neo-fascist Tricolor Flame party as a youth. She concurrently worked as a sales representative for a company allegedly backed by the Camorra, and she became the leader of her local Tricolor Flame chapter. In 2018, however, she left FT for the Brothers of Italy party, which she saw as a more electorally viable organization. Perini affiliated herself with the Brothers of Italy's far-right faction, and her faction took the helm of the party ahead of the 12 April 2021 general election, with Perini being named as leader.
In the ensuing general election of 12 April 2021, resentment of the previous government's COVID-19 lockdown measures and a continued hostility of many Italians towards immigration and the European Union manifested itself as Perini and her FdI won the most seats in the Chamber, winning 20.39% of the vote and 11/54 Chamber seats. FdI was followed by the Democratic Party with 18.16% and 10 seats, the Five Star Movement with 15.58% and 8 seats, Lega Nord with 12.97% and 7 seats, Forza Italia with 12.14% and 7 seats, Article One with 6.16% and 3 seats, Italia Viva with 6.09% and 3 seats, Green Europe with 4.82% and 3 seats, and Coraggio Italia with 3.69% and 2 seats.
Premiership[]
In the ensuing scramble to form a government, Perini was able to obtain the support of the Italian right-wing due to her opposition to COVID lockdown measures, her support for (albeit state) capitalism, and her opposition to immigration and multiculturalism. Perini won the support of 31 deputies, while Democratic Party leader Annica Pizzuto won the support of just 22 deputies. Perini's government immediately attempted to abolish the European Union, but the motion failed 29-19, as Forza Italia broke with the right to support Europe. However, an immigration ban succeeded by a margin of 26-17, with Article One breaking with the left to support the bill. The Chamber also voted 36-8 to approve a cultural subsidy, 27-10 to keep the housing tax, 26-20 to keep the 4% electoral threshold, 32-13 for a dog license program, 48-2 to establish a national football league, and 45-5 to sponsor the Olympic Games. The fundraising day of 7 March 2022 saw FdI top the charts with €170 million, and it also saw the Democratic Party decline to €124 million and M5S to €122 million as Lega rose to €114 million, leading to analysts predicting that Lega might surpass the Democrats and the Five Star Movement to become the second-largest party in the country. While the FdI's popularity was slightly injured by a corruption scandal involving FdI deputy Federico Rotta, the party quickly rebounded through a media offensive. The Chamber went on to vote 28-15 against highway tolls, and, on 2 May 2022, new elections were held. FdI rose to 29.51% and 17/54 seats (up 6 seats), the Democratic Party fell to 15.63% and 9/54 seats (down a seat), the Five Star Movement fell to 15.50% and 9 seats (gaining a seat, while losing support), Lega rose to 14.95% and 8 seats (up a seat), Forza Italia fell to 10.29% and 6 seats (down a seat), Italia Viva fell to 5.18% and 3 seats, Article One fell to 4.04% and 2 seats (down a seat), and Green Europe and Coraggio Italia won 2.93% and 1.97% each, resulting in their elimination from the Chamber (thus, even while M5S won fewer votes than before, they won an extra seat due to reapportionment). Perini was able to form another government with ease, winning the support of 36 deputies to Annica Pizzuto's 14.