Giorgia Meloni’s far-right party had a big win in the European elections in Italy, as unofficial results on Monday showed her party, Brothers of Italy, getting 28.82% of the vote, more than the 26% they got in the national elections in 2022.
Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, shared a photo on social media with a V-for-victory sign, thanking her supporters. She called the elections a test of her leadership, as the results were in her favour.
She expressed pride in the outcome and said Italy now has the strongest government in Europe. This is a big change from 2019 when her party only got 6% of the vote in the European elections.
Other European leaders did not fare as well. French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance lost to Marine Le Pen’s far-right party.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialists also faced defeats.
In Italy, voter turnout was at a record low of 49.69%.
With this win, Meloni now has more influence in Brussels. Both Ursula von der Leyen, aiming for another term as the head of the European Commission, and Marine Le Pen have shown interest in working with her.
Political analyst, Lorenzo Castellani, noted that Meloni might become the most powerful prime minister in the EU.
However, there are tensions between Meloni and Le Pen, as they belong to different groups in the European Parliament.
Since becoming Prime Minister 15 months ago, Meloni has balanced her political actions carefully. She promised to boost Italy’s pride, economy, Christian culture, family values, and reduce illegal immigration.
Despite her critical stance on the EU, she has worked closely with von der Leyen and received support from Washington for her strong stance on Ukraine.
Meloni’s government celebrated the win, but her coalition partner, Matteo Salvini’s League party saw a drop in support, getting only 9.12% of the vote.
This is a significant fall from the 34% they got in 2019. The Forza Italia party, founded by the late Silvio Berlusconi, did slightly better with 9.72%.
The main opposition party, the centre-left Democratic Party, performed well with over 25% of the vote. The Five Star Movement, led by former Premier Giuseppe Conte, was below 10%.
Meloni ran for election herself, but will not take up her seat, as being a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is not compatible with her role as Prime Minister.
“I am proud that this nation presents itself at the G7 and in Europe with the strongest government of all,” said Meloni in her victory speech.
