On the 25th of September Giorgia Meloni won the Italian elections, making her the first far-right leader they’ve had since Mussolini. The turnout for the elections was quite low with only 64% – a record low for Italy. Even with the low turnout the Brothers of Italy managed to rail in 26% of the votes. While it’s a milestone that Italians will have a female prime minster for the first time, it’s also worrying to some. There are concerns about Meloni’s very conservative views on the LGBT-community, abortions and refugees. Some even worry that some rights may be taken back. However, Meloni has promised she won’t be reversing any rights.

Cecilia is Italian and living in the Netherlands. This year she really wanted to vote, but didn’t receive her mail-in ballot like she usually does. She was devastated when she heard the news about Meloni’s victory. While Meloni has calmed down in comparison to her fiery speeches back in 2019, Cecilia admits she’s still worried about the future.

How was the election for Cecilia and is she right to be worried?