CNN
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Brothers of Italy President Giorgia Meloni has claimed victory in a general election that looks set to become Italy’s first female prime minister, leading the most far-right government since Benito Mussolini’s fascist era.
Addressing media and supporters early Monday morning, Maloney said it was “a night of pride and a night of redemption for many.”
“It’s a victory, and I want to dedicate this night to all those who are no longer with us and love it,” he said. “From tomorrow we have to show our value … the Italians chose us and we will never betray that,” he said.
Preliminary results suggest that the far-right parties have formed a coalition at the helm Brethren of Meloni, Italy According to Italy’s interior ministry, the party is on track to win at least 44% of the vote.
With 63% of the votes counted, the ultra-conservative Brothers of Italy won at least 26%, with coalition partners Matteo Salvini’s League on about 9% and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia on more than 8%. Final results are expected late Monday, but it is expected to take weeks to form a new government.
Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party – has its origins in post-war fascism – It has seen an astronomical rise in popularity in recent years, garnering just 4.5% of the vote in the last elections in 2018.
The party’s popularity underscores Italy’s long-standing rejection of politics, most recently seen in the support of anti-establishment parties such as the Five Star Movement and the Salvinis League.
Celebrating early results Sunday evening, Salvini tweeted, “Centre-right with clear gains in both House and Senate! It’s been a long night, but I want to say thank you already.
Mother Meloni, 45, from Rome, who campaigned under the slogan “God, country and family”, leads a party that has proposed cuts to Euroscepticism, anti-immigration policies and LGBTQ and abortion. rights.
Early results showed a center-left coalition led by the left-wing Democratic Party and the centrist Party +Europe won at least 26% of the vote, while former prime minister Giuseppe Conte appeared to be trying to revive the Five Star movement. Failed, about 15%.
Democrats conceded defeat Monday morning, calling the results a “sad evening for the country.”
“Undoubtedly, in light of the data seen so far, Georgia Maloney’s pull to the right cannot claim victory. It’s a sad evening for the country,” Democrat Deborah Cerchiani told reporters.
Sunday’s snap national election was triggered by party infighting that saw the collapse of Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s government in July.
Voters went to the polls amid several new regulations, including one day instead of two.
Other changes include a lower voting age for the Senate and a reduction in the number of seats to be elected – from 685 to 400 in the Senate and from 315 to 200 in the lower house of Parliament. That parliament is scheduled to convene on October 13, when the state president will call on party leaders to decide on the form of the new government.
The build-up to the election was dominated by hot-button issues including Italy’s cost-of-living crisis, a €209bn package from the European Covid-19 recovery fund and the country’s support. Ukraine.
Meloni differs from coalition leaders Berlusconi and Salvini on several issues, including Ukraine, and has no ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, unlike the pair, has said he wants to review sanctions against Russia. The Italian economy. Meloni instead remains steadfast in his support for the defense of Ukraine.
The incoming prime minister – the sixth in just eight years – will be tasked with tackling those challenges, along with rising energy costs and the country’s most pressing economic uncertainty.
Although Meloni made history as Italy’s first female prime minister, her politics did not necessarily mean she was interested in advancing women’s rights.
Emiliana de Blasio, adviser on diversity and inclusion at LUISS University in Rome, told CNN Meloni “doesn’t raise all the questions about women’s rights and empowerment in general.”
Sunday’s results mark recent victories for other far-right parties in other European countries, with Sweden’s anti-immigration party, the Sweden Democrats – a party with neo-Nazi roots – expected to play a key role in the new. The government after winning the second largest number of seats in the general election earlier this month.
In France, far-right ideologue Marine Le Pen lost the French presidential election to Emmanuel Macron in April, whose popular vote shifted France’s political center dramatically to the right.
In a social media post early Monday, Maloney dedicated his planned victory to “all the fighters, managers, supporters and everyone who – over the years – has given their soul and heart willingly and selflessly to make our dream come true.”
He added, “We will not betray your trust. We are ready to raise Italy.
