The Italian right-wing Brothers of Italy party, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, emerged victorious in the European Union Parliament vote held on Sunday. This victory signifies a shift towards conservative politics across Europe, as other right-wing parties also made gains at the expense of ruling coalitions in both France and Germany.
Meloni’s party secured an overwhelming victory with an estimated 28% of the vote, according to projections by state broadcaster RAI, with almost 70% of the ballots counted. Meanwhile, other members of her center-right coalition did not perform as well. Matteo Salvini’s right-wing League party obtained only 8.5%, despite coming in first place in the 2019 EU election with a significant 34. The Silvio Berlusconi-founded Forza Italia, once a junior coalition member of the League, outperformed it with an anticipated 9% of the vote.
The center-left opposition Democratic Party is expected to garner around 24.5%, while the Five Star Movement is predicted to obtain approximately 10.5. Meloni expressed her pride in leading a strong government into upcoming engagements, stating that she looks forward to attending the G7 and European meetings with increased confidence.
The Meloni-led European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) is projected to win roughly a tenth of the 720 seats available in this year’s EU Parliament. This marks a significant increase in backing for Meloni when compared to her counterparts, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Scholz’s party fell to third place in the polls on Sunday, losing ground to both the conservative CDU/CSU and the far-right AfD. Meanwhile, Macron’s Renaissance party secured approximately 15% of the vote, in stark contrast to the right-wing National Rally’s 31. This outcome prompted Macron to dissolve parliament and call for a snap election, as his party struggled to maintain its position amidst increasing support for conservative ideals.
Since coming to power on an anti-immigration platform, Meloni has shifted her stance in favor of current EU policies regarding asylum seekers. She remains a staunch supporter of Kiev in the ongoing conflict with Moscow but has expressed hesitation towards NATO’s recent support for allowing Ukraine to carry out long-range strikes into Russian territory.