The extreme right wins the elections in Italy

With 90% of the votes counted, the Brothers of Italy (FdI) party led by Georgia Meloni obtained 26.5% of the vote. The right-wing bloc (FdI, La Liga and Forza Italia) achieved an absolute majority in both chambers (44%). Participation has been the lowest in history (63.91%).

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Euskaraz irakurri: Ultraeskuinak irabazi ditu Italiako hauteskundeak

the party leader far right Brothers of Italy (FdI, for its acronym in Italian: Fratelli d’Italia), Giorgia Meloniis emerging as the country’s prime minister, after the provisional results confirm that she is the most voted candidate on Sunday’s election day.

With more than 90% of the ballots counted —both for the Senate and for the Congress of Deputies—, the FdI has achieved the 26.5% of the votes; followed by the Democratic Party, led by Enrico lettawith the 19.4 %; and the 5 Star Movement, by Giuseppe Countin third place with 14.8% of voters.

Matteo Salvini’s La Liga would have achieved 9% and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, 8%. Both have lost support, which Meloni would have capitalized on.

The right block —made up of Meloni, Salvini and Berlusconi— would achieve an absolute majority in both chambers, with 44%, compared to 26% of the center-left. When the final data is published, Meloni will have to meet with her coalition partners to reach an agreement that allows her to become the country’s prime minister.

The president of FdI has requested, in an institutional statement on Sunday night, the direction of the next Italian government. “A clear indication has come from the Italians of a center-right government led by the Brothers of Italy,” she told supporters at the Hotel Parco dei Principe in Rome.

“We will govern this nation for all Italians” to “exalt what unites and not what divides, because our goal is that Italians can be proud of being Italians”, he insisted in his first statements. “We will not let you down, we are ready to lift Italy up,” he added.

We will not trade the trusteeship. If I love #soon to laugh in Italy

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— Giorgia Meloni ¿¿¿ (@GiorgiaMeloni) September 26, 2022

In the event that Meloni gets the support of his partners, he also has to overcome the filter of the president of the republicSergio Matarella, who can veto ministers if he considers that they are not suitable for the position.

The Democratic Party and the M5S, to the opposition

The Democratic Party has obtained second place. Its leader, Enrico Letta, has not made a public statement after the vote, while he is expected to appear before the cameras at noon today. The PD spokeswoman in Parliament is the only one who has given explanations, by acknowledging the electoral defeat.

The M5S has blamed the Democratic Party for the lack of unity in the left bloc. His candidate, Conte, has affirmed that his party will make a progressive and democratic opposition and has celebrated his position, since the polls pointed to the disappearance of the formation.

Civic Commitment leader Luigi Di Maio, who is currently the country’s acting foreign minister but who has stood for election in a new party after leaving M5S, has been left out of the Italian Parliament. His M5S opponent, Sergio Costa, has defeated him in his seat for Napoli. Furthermore, his party would have gotten less than 1 percent of the ballots.

Low involvement

The abstention has marked these elections, since the country has registered the lowest number of participation since the democratic system was implanted. They have gone to the polls only 63.91%while in 2018 it reached 73%, a difference of nine percentage points.

The European extreme right has celebrated the result. Among others, Meloni was congratulated by the Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki; the MEP from Marine Le Pen’s party, Jordan Bardella; the political adviser of the Hungarian Viktor Orbán; Frenchman Eric Zemmour; the vice president of the German AfD party, Beatrix von Storch; or the leader of Vox, Santiago Abascal.