Giorgia Meloni will not be defeated on her own turf.

Two leading figures, right-wing and left-wing, united under a common goal: defending European lifestyle and Christian culture. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen have formed an unusual political alliance, despite their differing ideological backgrounds. Meloni represents one of Europe’s most prominent conservative right wings, while Frederiksen is a social democrat. However, both have developed similar positions on migration over recent years. Their shared belief centers around protecting European values and Christian cultural heritage. In a joint statement released on Monday, they emphasized opposition to “uncontrolled immigration.” Both leaders claim to have advocated for stricter migration policies domestically and across Europe. They link the consequences of illegal migration to increased pressure on public services, declining trust in institutions, and security concerns. They specifically highlight individuals without legal residency who commit violent crimes, engage in drug trafficking, or sexual offenses. According to them, European countries should not merely condemn such individuals but must have the practical ability to remove them from the country. Italy and Denmark have taken initiative following the recent migration crisis in Spanish Ceuta, supporting a letter signed by 22 EU member states. The signatories requested more effective border protection, better coordination against illegal migration, and reducing factors driving people without legal residency to seek entry into Europe. Both prime ministers have gradually positioned themselves among the most vocal European advocates for tightening migration policy, even though they arrived at this stance from different ideological camps. The question of how effectively to return undocumented migrants has become central to their discourse. Both leaders speak of the need to protect common European values and the European Christian cultural legacy. This reframes the issue of migration not just as a question of how many people Europe can accept or return, but also as a question of what kind of society Europe wishes to preserve. For now, this part of their message is less concrete than their demands regarding borders and returning migrants. What would “protecting the European way of life” mean in practice? Examining both Italian and Danish government policies reveals possible interpretations. The most evident starting point is the area where Meloni and Frederiksen have already politically connected: deporting foreigners committing serious criminal acts. Here, Meloni's focus is particularly on those who remain in Europe. This raises the question of what exactly the demand means for respecting European values beyond laws. Denmark offers a very specific answer: integration is not understood solely as absence of crime but increasingly as a combination of language, work, knowledge of society, and active participation within it. For permanent residence, requirements include knowledge of the Danish language, employment, and one of the additional criteria can be fulfilled through a citizenship exam or at least one year of community involvement or other forms of civic engagement. This logic becomes even more explicit with regard to citizenship. Anyone wishing to become a Danish citizen through naturalization must meet conditions related to duration of stay, language, self-sufficiency, and knowledge of the country. In addition, they must sign a declaration of loyalty to Denmark and its society and commit to respecting Danish law, constitution, fundamental values, and democratic principles. Meanwhile, in Italy, a new far-right party led by former general Roberto Vannacci has introduced a program emphasizing the so-called Mediterranean patriarchate as a model for Italian society. The program has sparked criticism, especially from the Italian left. Vannacci argues that the ideology of continuous battle against patriarchy has failed, citing an increase in violence against women wherever traces of patriarchal society disappear. He claims this proves the need to defend the Mediterranean patriarchate model rather than criminalizing it. Vannacci’s model focuses on emphasizing differences between genders and fostering the upbringing of strong men capable of controlling emotions and desires, protecting women, and dedicating themselves to building and defending society. These statements have drawn criticism from leftist parties. Valeria Valente from the opposition Democratic Party labeled Vannacci’s ideas as absurd and a return to the Middle Ages. The National Future party, which Vannacci founded in February, emphasizes in its 120-page document the desire to “return Italy to its roots and lead it back onto the path of its great history.” On the issue of migration policy, it supports repatriation or returning immigrants to their home countries and zero tolerance for migrants violating laws. The party also advocates for deploying the military to areas with high crime rates, increasing prison capacity, and lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years. On economic policy, the party promotes simplification of the tax system, full employment, and promoting Italian production. Vannacci, a former member of the League, has attracted many voters from the current ruling right-wing coalition with his rhetoric. A public opinion survey by the SWG institute in early August showed that National Future would receive support from 7.2 percent of Italians, surpassing the League, which has 6 percent support, and nearly catching up with the Forward, Italy party, supported by 7.4 percent of voters. Right-wing governments, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, accuse Vannacci of betraying the ideals he championed before the last elections in 2022 and transforming into a “softened right,” especially on migration issues. Analysts believe that Meloni, who previously advocated strict migration policies, has responded sharply to the recent mass influx of migrants into Spanish enclave Ceuta and issued a joint statement with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on protecting European cultural values from migrants. Meloni has criticized Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, especially the mass regularization of undocumented migrants, prior to the escalation of tensions in Ceuta. She received support from Frederiksen, and after the crisis erupted in the enclave, the two leaders called for considering temporary exclusion of Spain from the Schengen area. This week, they committed to strengthening the deportation of undocumented migrants, establishing return centers in third countries, and other “innovative solutions” outside the European Union. Both leaders wrote on social media that illegal immigration increases crime levels, puts pressure on public services, and undermines citizens' trust. They specifically highlighted undocumented individuals committing violent crimes, drug trafficking, or sexual offenses, although they did not provide concrete data to support these links. Giorgia Meloni has consistently advocated for a strict policy toward immigration since her time in office, so her response to the situation in Ceuta was not surprising. Political scientist Emanuel Massetti from the University of Trento explained that Meloni’s position could be attributed to the scale of the crisis and security concerns for Italy. He noted that the government fears some of the thousands crossing the border might pose threats to European security. Italy has been relatively successful in preventing major terrorist attacks compared to other large or smaller European countries. However, according to Massetti, the security issue is not the sole explanation for the firm positioning against Spain, which has strained relations between the two countries. Meloni has softened her opposition to Brussels and redirected criticism towards centrist and left-wing governments in EU member states. She maintains a pragmatic relationship with EU institutions while directly criticizing and politically attacking her opponents. Similar tensions have arisen with French President Emmanuel Macron in the past. The response from the right-wing government cannot be fully understood without considering internal political dynamics, which Italian Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has accused Meloni of exploiting for electoral gain. Valerio Alfonso Bruno, a political scientist and author of The Rise of the Brothers of Italy, confirmed this view, noting that the coalition, after almost four years in power, can boast mainly about fiscal credibility and low unemployment, but less so about economic growth.