Anand Menon on Meloni, "Concern" Over France & Far Right in Europe

In, in France and Italy, so the shifts that we're seeing across European politics and with laser focused of course, on what's happening in France, but Bloomberg also reporting today that Italy is going to as part of these, this horse trading in Brussels, Italy will be given the option of choosing 1 executive vice president to be named to the European Commissions. I'm only getting that as part of this negotiation, this bargaining. Does that cement the far right in the EUS institutions? How, how monumental, how significant is that do you think? Well, the first thing of significance is that Maloney's group, the European conservatives and reformist have done pretty well out of the election. So they're in quite a strong position, I think on the far right. They would argue they're being frozen out. Because of course the centrist politicians got together last night to try and stitch up a deal without Maloney being in the room. Now she's pushing back and saying Italy is the third biggest European economy. Italy should be represented in these talks. So she's now saying we need proper representation in the European Commission. I think it's slightly unfortunate that this is happening because given the sort of anti politics mood across Europe and the elections coming in France, it's quite easy for radical parties to point to what's happening and saying the same old people stitching up the same old posts. Despite the electorate voicing their discontent with the status quo. So actually it's not a very salutary site, it has to be said. Are you concerned about what's happening in France? Good. Yeah, I think everyone should be concerned about what's happening in France because there is the real prospect, if not of a far right government, then of a parliament lacking a functioning majority, which makes it very, very hard to govern.