Not all parties in the ECR are considered far-right, but the dominance of the Brothers of Italy has some lawmakers and political analysts concerned. Julien Hoez, editor of a politics newsletter and EU affairs consultant, said the ECR is split between those who are just “euroskeptic right wingers [and] those who are more toxic far-right actors.” Their growing prominence in the EU, particularly of the Brothers of Italy members, “could have a negative effect on women’s rights, press freedoms and the competent management of migration issues,” he added.
“They could try and push policy that blocks asylum-seekers and foreign workers from entering Europe,” said Hoez.
Both Meloni and Marine Le Pen, of France’s National Rally, have moderated their parties’ most extreme policies in recent years in an attempt to increase their acceptability among voters. But, said analyst Hoez, “neither is particularly far from the other, and a lot of the ‘moderating’ and detoxification is down to communication strategies.