Italy’s Giorgia Meloni Faces Awkward Weekend Hosting World Leaders for Pope’s Funeral
Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, is set to host a gathering of world leaders this weekend to pay their respects to Pope Francis, whose public views on issues such as immigration and climate change were starkly opposed to hers.
According to a report by The Guardian, Meloni’s stance on immigration has been particularly at odds with the Pope’s. While Francis was a vocal advocate for asylum seekers and praised the vessels that rescued refugees at sea, Meloni has previously stated that Italy should "repatriate migrants back to their countries and then sink the boats that rescued them".
The Italian leader will be joined at the funeral by close allies, including US President Donald Trump, who was sharply criticised by Francis for his anti-immigration stance. The Pope said: "Anyone who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian." Argentina’s President, Javier Milei, will also be in attendance, despite previously labelling the Pontiff an "imbecile" and a representative of the "evil one".
In a joint session of parliament on Wednesday, Meloni cited the Pope’s ability to "give back a voice to those who did not have one". However, her words were met with criticism from opposition parties. The leader of the centre-left opposition Democratic party, Elly Schlein, said: "Francis does not deserve the hypocrisy of those who deport migrants, take money from the poor, deny the climate emergency and deny care to those who cannot afford it."
The former Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi of Italia Viva, was equally scathing, saying: "It is very funny that each of us seeks to grab a little piece of his legacy… Your detention camps for migrants were a disgrace to Pope Francis."
On key issues, Meloni and the Pope could not have been further apart. Francis described the climate emergency as a moral and spiritual crisis demanding a radical and systemic response, whereas Meloni has prioritised economic competitiveness and national interest. In economics, the Pope denounced the "culture of waste", criticising a system that values people according to their productivity and calling for an economy in the service of human dignity. Meloni, meanwhile, has abolished subsidies for the poor and cut healthcare.
According to Francesco Galietti, the founder of Policy Sonar, a political consultancy in Rome, there was a significant gap between Meloni and the Pope’s views. "Meloni bet on Atlanticism, on a close rapport with Trump, while Bergoglio [Pope Francis] was by no means pro-American nor a friend of Trump. There was also a divergence in geopolitical vision: Francis pursued a policy of rapprochement with China, whereas under Meloni Italy withdrew from Beijing’s ambitious belt and road initiative."
Despite their differences, Meloni and the Pope appeared to have a friendly, even cordial relationship. Galietti added: "The friendship between Meloni and the pope was allegedly genuine. They spoke in Spanish and met often. This should come as no surprise: after all, the pope, who grew up under Argentina’s Videla dictatorship, was forced to coexist with generals in uniform far to the right of Meloni."
Meloni has often spoken publicly about her personal rapport with Francis, frequently citing details of their conversations in public speeches. Many political observers and media outlets have described the Prime Minister’s strategy as an "operazione simpatia", an attempt to win over her electorate by highlighting her friendship with one of the most beloved pontiffs.
With the death of Francis, Meloni has lost someone politically, and possibly personally, important to her. Professor Alberto Melloni, a church historian at the University of Modena-Reggio Emilia and the Unesco chair on religious pluralism and peace, said: "Francis accepted Meloni’s history, her self-portrayal as an underdog… Once Bergoglio told me he liked the PM because she was ‘a woman of the people’."
The professor added that the crucial question for Meloni was whether the next leader of the Catholic church would also play a useful role. "If the pope does not sympathise with them, he won’t let them off so lightly."
The funeral of Pope Francis will take place this weekend, with world leaders in attendance. According to The Guardian, the event will be a significant moment for Meloni, who will be hosting the leaders.
Related: When is Pope Francis’s funeral, who will be there and what happens next
Source: Giorgia Meloni: awkward weekend hosting world leaders for Pope’s funeral
