In December, Rome greeted visitors with an unusual sight: in the gardens of Castel Sant'Angelo, a few steps from the Vatican, a real political fair with a Christmas flavor took place. Wooden houses, street food, skating rinks, family atmosphere – this is what the annual festival of the ruling Brothers of Italy Atreju party, which runs from December 6 to 14, looks like. The organizers offered free admission, seemingly to create the image of a “national” holiday right in the heart of the capital.
However, behind the cheerful appearance on Tet holiday lies a large-scale “political activity”. Atreju became not only the party's “Christmas” congress, but also the ruling party's “exhibition of the achievements of the national economy” for both Italians and “outside consumers.” To voters, the Brothers of Italy party showed its influence and ability to build a dialogue even with the opposition (not in vain even representatives of the left participated), and to external partners it demonstrated the ability of the Italian right to build a network of conservative parties according to a pan-European framework and its readiness to conduct a dialogue on a broad foreign policy agenda.
Either the fair or the summit
The organizers did not hesitate to boast about their achievements: in 9 days they organized 82 panel discussions, to which they invited about 450 speakers, including representatives of the opposition. At the same time, Atreju does not become a “boring little thing” but retains the form of a “Christmas village” that attracts people.
As the international press has correctly noted, a visitor may not realize that he or she is attending a political event until he sees the party facilities. In many ways, this became a “reimagining” of the rights image for mass audiences, which ultimately chronicled the transformation of formerly marginal progressives into a respectable governing force.
Analysts note a paradigm shift, because the festival became not only an ideological conference but also a real “government hour” with discussions on the budget, reforms, security issues and world politics. This year's slogan, “You have become strong. Italy holds its head high,” turned the festival into a report on the growth of power and a call to elevate the country's role on the world stage.
Meloni international stage
Atreju's most notable episode was the presence of Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Italian agencies and international media emphasized the symbolism of the moment, because the PNA leader spoke not in a neutral hall but on the platform of the ruling party. Meloni presented this as evidence of Italy's central role in the search for compromise and the prospect of a “two-state” solution.
This move works both ways. Domestically, he demonstrated to voters the government's capabilities on the international stage, especially in such a sensitive area as the Palestinian issue, which has sparked protests in Italy for several months. Well, externally, the administration is sending a signal to its EU partners and regional countries that Rome is ready to play a mediating role in international affairs and is ready to participate in the field where Washington and Brussels are working.
Meloni's final speech was a foreign policy manifesto with a clear message: Europe will have to strengthen its own defenses in the face of tougher signals from Washington about the possibility of reducing US involvement in the security of the Old World.
Conservatives of all countries, unite!
That same week, Rome hosted a conference of the European Parliament faction of the right-wing group “European Conservatives and Reformists,” which includes the Brothers of Italy. Migration, competitiveness, energy and defense are all on the agenda. Journalists call these days a “strategic summit” with the participation of delegations from many EU countries.
Many media outlets have drawn attention to the presence of British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch in Rome, focusing on her connections with Meloni, thanks to which Atreju expanded its geography. Now the festival is gradually becoming a “rallying point” for a wider right-wing international community, and not just within the EU. For Meloni, such a format became politically advantageous, as it allowed her to maintain channels of communication with external players, while demonstrating to Brussels its ability to enter into dialogue even with those forces, especially the UK, with which Brussels is not always able to negotiate normally.
Conflict as a resource
Atreju began in 1998 as a platform for the youth wing of the nationalist right-wing conservative party National Alliance, which grew out of the Italian Social Movement, founded by veterans of Benito Mussolini's fascist party. The international press frequently recalls these roots, especially when the festival combines a gentle Christmas scene with hard-edged ideological messages.
This year, critics again highlighted periods of tension, from clashes with protesters and student unions to growing scrutiny of journalists. But for the authorities, such conflict is also a resource that allows them to retain core supporters in the logic of a “besieged fortress”, without scaring off moderate “fathers of families”, who are provided with skating rinks and fairs instead of party symbols.
Overall, the festival represented a new stage in the evolution of Meloni's political model. Domestically, the government demonstrated resilience and the ability to control the agenda, including that of its opponents. Well, in Europe, Meloni strengthens his position as a negotiator, able to talk to the EU's institutions, to the European right and to non-European conservatives. For Brothers of Italy, Atreju is becoming a convenient tool to send a signal of trust to the whole world, whether to the Middle East or to neighboring countries in the EU. And faith in the current era of “Trump rage” and the breakdown of the “unipolar world” is very valuable.
And if in previous years Atreju was considered an “ideological fair” of the right, this December has shown a different form: it is a festival of power aimed at both strengthening its influence among voters and increasing the power of the Meloni government abroad. And that is why it is not only important for Italian politics but also an indicator that the European right is learning to combine popular culture, party propaganda and foreign policy language into a single workable structure.
