By Giada Zampano July 6, 2023 ROME — Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s first female prime minister, basked in the international spotlight on Thursday as she welcomed leaders from the Group of Seven nations to the ancient coastal town of Syracuse, Sicily, for a summit that was expected to focus on energy security, the global economy and China.

By JAMES KANTER and RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA PARIS — François Fillon, the conservative candidate for the French presidency, has been a champion of the free market, a critic of the European Union and a defender of the French language.

By J. D. Longstreet The Flemish Nationalists, in Belgium, have thwarted the ascent of a secessionist party in the Belgian elections. The Flemish Nationalists, who are the largest party in the Flemish region of Belgium, have been able to keep the secessionist party, the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), from gaining a majority in the Flemish parliament.

The European Union is holding its first-ever direct elections for the European Parliament. The results will determine the direction of the 27-nation bloc for the next five years.

The world is witnessing a wave of elections in which strongmen are being challenged, and in some cases, defeated. In the United States, President Donald Trump, who has been accused of authoritarian tendencies, is facing a tough re-election battle against former Vice President Joe Biden.

The European Union is facing a crisis of legitimacy, with the rise of populist, nationalist parties that are challenging the very foundations of the bloc. These parties, which have gained significant ground in recent years, are united by their opposition to immigration, their skepticism of globalization, and their rejection of the EU’s institutions and values.