Voting events - Italy's Meloni party achieves victory in European elections.
Italy's right-wing prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, and her party Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy) emerged victorious in the European elections, edging out the left-wing alliance led by opposition leader Elly Schlein. According to Rai's calculations, Meloni's party received 27.7% of the votes on Sunday night, a huge increase from their 6.4% in 2019. This puts her ahead of all other political forces on both the left and right.
Despite her position as the lead candidate for Fratelli d'Italia, Meloni has no plans to join the European Parliament. Instead, she will remain as prime minister in Rome. Meloni has been leading a coalition of three right-wing parties since October 2022. With this stunning victory, her influence on the European level could grow significantly. There is also speculation about the fate of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU).
Fratelli d'Italia's dominance in the coalition
In the 2019 European elections, Fratelli d'Italia was still in opposition, securing just 6.4% of the votes. With Sunday night's results, they have become the strongest force in the right-wing coalition: Forza Italia, founded by the late former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, is expected to garner 10.5%, while Lega, led by Vice-Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, is projected to achieve 8%.
The right-wing coalition as a whole has also strengthened its position, with Fratelli d'Italia's slightly improved result in comparison to their most recent parliamentary election (26%). The left-populist movement Cinque Stelle (Five Stars) under former prime minister and current leader Giuseppe Conte looks set to reach 11.1%, while the left-green alliance Alleanza Verdi Sinistra is forecast to achieve 6.6%.
Italy has 47 million eligible voters and a presence in the European Parliament with 76 members. Meloni made her intentions clear during the campaign that Italy aims to hold a prominent place in the future EU Commission. Italy was the last of the 27 EU member states to close its polling stations on Sunday night, with voting taking place until 11:00 pm. The provisional official result is set to be announced by Monday morning.
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- Giorgia Meloni, the victorious leader of Italy's Fratelli d'Italia party in the European elections, has no intention of joining the European Parliament, opting to continue as prime minister in Rome.
- During the European elections, Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition, including Forza Italia and Lega, significantly strengthened their position, securing more votes than in 2019.
- The left-populist movement Cinque Stelle, led by former Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte, is projected to reach 11.1% in the European elections, while the left-green alliance Alleanza Verdi Sinistra is forecast to achieve 6.6%.
- Meloni, the lead candidate for Fratelli d'Italia in the European elections, made it clear during her campaign that she aims to secure a prominent place for Italy in future EU Commission discussions.
- Italy, with its 47 million eligible voters and 76 members in the European Parliament, closed its polling stations last in the 27 EU member states during the European elections, with voting extending until 11:00 pm.
