Giorgia Meloni to be sworn in as Italy’s prime minister

Meloni’s ascent could be a transformative moment in a country that has sometimes been a test lab for broader political shifts, whether with fascism a century ago or, more recently, the personality-driven theater of Silvio Berlusconi. Now, Italy will be led by Meloni, who has honed a distinctive brand of far-right politics — acting as a liberal-baiting firebrand on social issues, while pitching herself as a steady, establishment-style hand on foreign policy and spending.

But if such a mold has any chance of catching on in Europe, Meloni needs to succeed in the job.

She faces an economy that has defied years of rescue attempts and was in bad shape even before soaring inflation and energy costs. There is plenty of skepticism from fellow leaders across the continent, who worry that her Italy-first vision will lead to fights in Brussels. And she is already grappling with challenges from the other parties in her coalition, which so far have produced only headaches and controversies.

Female leaders are not new in Europe, but they are downright revolutionary in Italy, where the constellation of parties are led almost entirely by men. Meloni, 45, can be loud and caustic and quick with a verbal dagger when she feels insulted. Her party gained popularity steadily over the last five years despite its connection to earlier post-fascist parties — a result that some pundits say could only happen because Meloni represented such a break from the familiar brand of politics.

“We started from zero,” said Marco Marsilio, the governor of Abruzzo, a fellow member of the Fratelli d’Italia party who has known Meloni since she was a teenager.

When the far-right coalition swept to victory last month, it made Meloni’s ascent to prime minister nearly inevitable. Her party won 26 percent of the overall vote, more than any other party. But her grip on power is nonetheless fragile. Italian voters are renowned for throwing their support behind leaders and then swiftly ditching them.

The last several Italian governments have been brought down by infighting. And this time, the sparring started even before the government was sworn in.

Much of the turmoil has been sparked by Berlusconi, the 86-year-old billionaire tycoon and four-time prime minister who heads Forza Italia, a junior party in the ruling group.

First, last week, cameramen caught sight of a note written by Berlusconi offering a critique of Meloni’s personality. “Overbearing, arrogant,” he’d written.

Then several audio leaks showed Berlusconi boasting about a recent birthday gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who’d sent him 20 bottles of vodka and a “very kind letter,” which Berlusconi said he had responded to with an “equally sweet…