'Straight-talking alpha', 'kingmaker', and a "stronza" are just some of the words used to describe Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni - who is now the most influential leader in the continent.

Ranked by Politico at the top, Meloni, who leads the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, went from being dismissed as an "ultranationalist" to establishing herself as a key figure in European politics in less than a decade.

Following the wave of the EU elections which saw Europe shift to the right, Giorgia Meloni has been at the forefront.

In June 2024, Europe was left shell-shocked after the EU Parliamentary Elections depicted a right sweep across the continent. This right-wing win, however, only increased Meloni's influence in the regional bloc and the world as she emerged as the "kingmaker".

READ | EU Election Result 2024: Giorgia Meloni Emerges As Kingmaker; Far-Right Make Huge Gains

Since her election in 2022, Meloni has brought Italy to the right by introducing policies on issues such as migration and LGBTQ+ rights, which earlier would have been criticised.

With her hardline policies, Meloni has managed to create one of the most stable governments postwar Italy has seen and this has only made her stronger.

In fact, the government under her leadership is so stable, that many have skipped the democratic backsliding of Italy.

Meloni has been accused of using the courts to silence critics, and attack judges, journalists and anyone who rises against her. The PM has gone after newspapers and state broadcaster, triggering journalists to go on strike to protest the rise in government censorship.

If it had been any other leader in Europe, the EU would have wreaked havoc. But when it comes to Giorgia Meloni, EU leaders have simply brushed aside the matter of deteriorating civil liberties.

These two teams are meeting for the first time in the tournament in pool stage.

Meloni also made headlines for becoming the first female prime minister of Italy. While some predicted she would not last long, the Italian PM now stands as one of the most influential leaders.

The Italian leader has also faced her fair share of misogyny during her tenure as PM. From suing men for creating pornographic deepfakes of her to being called a "stronza" by her opponent Vincenzo de Luca at a campaign rally, Meloni remains at the top, untouched and unscathed.

With the rise of right figures such as US President-elect Donald Trumpttslot, Elon Musk, Hungary's Viktor Orban, and France's Marine Le Pen , Meloni continues to gain momentum across the globe.