When Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took power in 2022, far-right parties across Europe hailed her victory, expecting the fiery new leader in Rome to pursue a nationalist agenda and battle the Brussels bureaucracy. But rather than clash with the European Union elites, Meloni surprised friend and foe alike by working closely with them, presenting herself as a bridge between the mainstream center-right and her own arch-conservative camp, which was previously shunned. Her influence might grow in the wake of next month’s EU elections, if, as she has hinted, she backs center-right Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a second term. That would give her leverage over the new EU executive, boost her chances of winning an important portfolio for Italy in the next commission and strengthen her role as a power broker. “Meloni is the best person to act as a bridge between the different factions of the right and center-right in Europe, where she is a respected and recognized leader,” said Carlo Fidanza, the head of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party in Europe.