Author: Presented by Michael Safi with Alexander Stille; produced by Charlie Duffield, Tom Glasser, Mimi Ibrahim and Joel Cox; executive producer Homa Khaleeli

Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s first far-right prime minister since World War II, has been capturing the attention of European leaders like Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Alexander Stille, a former editor at Italy’s Corriere della Sera and current journalism professor at Columbia University, explores the influences behind Meloni’s rise, including her mother, a romance novelist, and her time working with Silvio Berlusconi. Surprisingly, Meloni’s politics are also influenced by JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books. Michael Safi delves into Meloni’s support for Ukraine and NATO and her pragmatic political approach, which has garnered praise from European leaders. However, questions remain…