On this podcast, we tend to focus on the people and institutions controlling the levers of power in American politics and government.

But every so often, an outside event breaks through in ways that add a new dimension to our own domestic political debates.

Last Sunday, Italians went to the polls and voted in the most right-wing government since Benito Mussolini.

The person they chose to lead that coalition, Giorgio Maloney, which will also be Italy's first female prime minister.

Viewed by some as a potential template for US conservatives to follow, Maloney has become a darling of sorts for many Republicans, who even invited her to speak at this year's CPAC conference.

Maloney's party, the Brothers of Italy, founded in 2012, was a fringe party with neo-fascist roots.

It rebranded itself in recent years as a socially conservative, ultra-nationalist party, but still only 1% in 2018.

Maloney then became the singular face of opposition to the government in power and her star rose.

Gioran on a platform that opposes LGBTQ rights, especially same-sex marriage, immigration and abortion rights.

And that's exactly what they want.

A right-wing on a leash, irrelevant and trained as a monkey.

But you know what? We're not monkeys! We're not even rhinos!

We won't be part of their zoo!

I'm Ryan Liza. This is Playbook Deep Dive.

As it happens, I was actually in Italy this week.

I was on vacation, visiting family, and I even got engaged while I was there.

Two of my family members happened to be deeply involved in Italian politics.

One is the mayor of a city in the south, and the other is a member of parliament.

Or at least she was until last Sunday when the Maloney wave swept her away.

Despite Maloney's firebrand reputation, by the end of the campaign,

she was sounding all of the right notes that the European and American establishment wanted to hear when it comes to Italy's place in the EU

and its opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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