Elly versus Giorgia? The political leadership of Elly Schlein and Giorgia Meloni between myth and reality

2023 has been a year marking a turning point, with two women in leading positions for the first time in Italian politics. Elly Schlein was elected leader of the Democratic Party in February 2023, while a few months earlier Giorgia Meloni, leader of the radical right Brothers of Italy, became prime minister. When Schlein and Meloni celebrated their victory with the identical phrase 'They the men didn't see us coming', both leaders showed great awareness that their rise shook the traditionally Italian male dominated political environment. Will the election of the two leaders result in a more structural change? The article seeks to address this issue, focusing on three key aspects: the historical roots of the women's exclusion from Italian politics; the distinctive political careers of Meloni and Schlein; and the success of the radical right Meloni government in defending the traditional family, while Schlein is facing difficulties to revive the party and to build a single opposition.