Non-brother in Italy’s far-right fraternity

There is no political party in Italy by the name of Sorella d‘Italia – Sisters of Italy. The party that has just won the Italian elections is Fratelli d’Italia – Brothers of Italy. And, yet, even while a nearby monarchy is getting used to switching its national anthem after 69 years from ‘God save the queen’ to its masculine equivalent (‘god’, thankfully, being suitably neuter and/or ambigender), the Italian far-right party has come up trumps thanks to a sister – Giorgia Meloni – at the helm. Knowing the Italians and their Vespas, no gender-based PC name change of the party will be required. After all, Sisters of Charity would retain its name even if a Father heads the outfit one day.

Earlier this year, Meloni had clamoured, ‘Yes to the natural family, no to the LGBT lobby, yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology….’ So, the first woman to be PM of Italy will be happy to be – to twist the old line about Mrs G – the only woman in her cabinet. The far-right has clearly not come that long a way since First Brother Benito and his merry Blackshirts ensured Il Duce – The Leader – literally and positionally stays a masculine title. Perhaps the Indian practice of addressing women in high positions as ‘Madam-Sir’ can help the people of the country that insists Caesar‘s wife, but not Caesar, be above suspicion, to take Meloni manfully.