Whether it is a turning point or a temporary radicalization, something appears to have changed in Giorgia Meloni. Since the assassination of Trumpist ideologue Charlie Kirk, whom she immediately cast as a martyr, the Italian prime minister has presented her fellow citizens with a somber narrative. Through impassioned speeches and alarming social media posts, she repeatedly spoke of "intimidation," potential assassination attempts against herself, and an alleged rise in political violence orchestrated by a vast – yet unidentifiable – left-wing conspiracy.

The leader with roots in the neo-fascist movement seems determined to maintain this radically polarized parallel reality that does not reflect the true state of Italian society. Meloni's Trumpian rhetoric has intensified even as, according to a Cluster 17 poll for Le Grand Continent magazine, 83% of Italian voters believed the American president exhibits dictatorial or authoritarian tendencies. Among sympathizers of Meloni's party, Fratelli d'Italia, 77% shared this view.

The prime minister's accusations began on her Instagram account with a photo of a three-word graffiti at the Turin train station. The message read, "Meloni like Kirk." Condemning what she described as a threat, Meloni pointed to unseen enemies, "those who thrive on hate and intimidation," and declared that her association with Kirk is a "source of pride." Kirk, a far-right ideologue, advocated for the subjugation of women and openly embraced racism.

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