Politics is changing rapidly, and old rituals are giving way to new communication strategies. Traditional party festivals had largely disappeared, swept away by the decline of historic parties and the meteoric rise of the quintessential anti-establishment movement: the Five Star Movement. It’s hard to imagine them roasting meat and drinking wine at Casaleggio Associati’s headquarters. The Festa dell’Unità survived to some extent, often serving as a stark reminder of the disunity plaguing the modern left, fractured after the collapse of the grand socialist and communist umbrella.
Atreju, the youth festival of Fratelli d’Italia, was practically unknown until Giorgia Meloni’s electoral victory. Last year and this year, the event was taken to new heights. I recall the party convention in Milan in May 2022, a few months before the elections, when Giorgia openly stated that the long rock-style catwalks and giant screens were inspired by major American events—think Democratic and Republican conventions leading up to the U.S. presidential race. In essence, “the party,” battered by the scandals of Tangentopoli and other crises, was back. With pride, without hypocrisy, and without hiding. The party as a compass and identity.
Now, after countless warm welcomes from those eager to join the winner’s circle, the spotlight turned to Javier Milei, the fiery president of Argentina—known for wielding a chainsaw as his symbol. Last year, it was Elon Musk, and as we noted here at GMI, our Prime Minister had a keen eye for trends. While the opposition mocked Musk’s eccentricities, he became a key figure for the new U.S. President. Milei’s speech hints at the birth of a new international right, poised to replace the left-wing internationalism that defined 20th-century political mainstreams. It signals a new vision of economics, liberalism, welfare, governance, individual rights, and public policy. Sure, there may have been Christmas lights and skating rinks at the Circus Maximus, but it’s clear that today’s party festivals are about setting future agendas, defining allies and enemies, and charting a course forward. Farewell to the sausages of the old guard.
