PORTFOLIO

Three women at the top - three strategies for power, three biographies that all lead to one goal: the reorganisation of the state with far-right sentiments. Giorgia Meloni in Italy, Marine Le Pen in France and Alice Weidel in Germany. The party leaders have managed to legitimise far-right parties with a female face - and to win over female voters for post-fascism. Where do these three women come from? How were they shaped throughout their lives and what motivated them to fight their way to the top of the far-right parties?

Alice Weidel, Marine Le Pen and Giorgia Meloni have very different paths in life. But there are clear similarities in their behaviour, political strategies and public image. All three politicians try to present themselves as the ‘voice of the ordinary citizen’ against the political establishment. Weidel presents herself as an economically competent ‘anti-mainstream politician’ with a liberal background. Le Pen positions herself as a ‘defender of the people’ who stands up for the concerns of the working class. Meloni embodies the image of a ‘down-to-earth mother’ who fights for traditional values. All three are trying to distance their parties from extremist roots without losing their core voters. Weidel, however, is associated with more radical forces in the AfD. Le Pen has clearly distanced herself from the extreme positions of her father and Meloni plays down her neo-fascist roots, emphasising her democratic orientation, although she uses symbols and language of the old right.

All three have strategically made their parties appear more moderate in order to become more electable for the masses. Le Pen is competing with a more ‘moderate’ version of her party and thus achieved better election results. Meloni managed to position her Fratelli d'Italia as ‘conservative’ instead of ‘far-right’ and won the 2022 election. Weidel is trying to give the AfD a more serious image in order to win over more voters outside the hard right core. Le Pen, Meloni and Weidel are using similar strategies to open themselves up to a broader electorate, while at the same time advocating nationalist and anti-migration positions.

But what will their future look like? Following a court ruling, Le Pen is excluded from further elections as chairwoman due to the embezzlement of party funds and is therefore facing her biggest defeat. Weidel is facing an AfD party ban and Meloni must come to terms with Trump and not lose her coalition partners in her own country.