Meloni's Silence on German Far-Right Win Emboldens Rival Vannacci

The far-right AfD's electoral victory in Germany has created a political dilemma for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has responded with public silence to avoid damaging relations with Chancellor Friedrich Merz while not alienating her own right-wing base. She is now skipping the UN Assembly to manage the fallout. Meloni's Fratelli d'Italia party is internally divided, with officials offering cautious statements that frame the German result as a rejection of centrist coalitions. The victory is seen as a problem because it strengthens her domestic rival Roberto Vannacci, whose more radical positions on Ukraine and immigration threaten to split the center-right coalition. The coalition is fractured, with Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini celebrating the AfD win while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and others express concern. Vannacci has publicly criticized Salvini's inconsistency, noting the League previously expelled AfD from the EU Parliament group, highlighting growing tensions that could destabilize the government.