Exit polls: Right-wing alliance set to win Italy elections as Meloni’s far-right party Brothers wins most votes
Exit polls suggest Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy have come top in Italy’s snap general election, which, if confirmed, would likely see her become the country’s first female prime minister.
Her alliance which includes former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini’s League party, which garnered 8.92 percent, and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party, with 7.81 percent positions the bloc to become the largest force in both chambers, with slightly more than 44 percent of votes.
Italian public broadcaster RAI confirmed that the alliance had won the election, with a majority of seats in both houses.
On Monday morning, the Brothers of Italy leader – who seems to have won the election and will likely become prime minister – tweeted: “We will not betray your trust. We are ready to lift up Italy again. THANK YOU!”
At about 01:54 AM today over half of the Senate and one-quarter of the Lower House votes have been counted. So far, the right-wing bloc has obtained 42.3% in the lower house, the center-left 27.9%, the Five Star Movement 14.9%, and the Centrist coalition 8.1%.
Santiago Abascal, the leader of the Spanish far-right party Vox on Sunday congratulated Meloni on Twitter for what exit polls suggest is a landslide victory for her party and coalition.
“[Giorgia Meloni] has shown the road for a Europe that is proud, free, and of sovereign natures, that are able to cooperate for the security and prosperity of all.
Go on, [Brothers of Italy].”
Meloni had spoken at a Vox rally in Marbella this summer, where she decried “LGBT lobbies” and “Islamic violence”.
Others to have joined the chorus of praise include Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who tweeted “Congratulations [Giorgia Meloni]!”
Earlier Sunday, the RAI exit poll had forecasted that The right-wing blog is expected to get 41-45% of the vote. Its biggest party is the Giorgia Meloni-led Brothers of Italy, which will likely obtain 22-26%. The Democratic Party-led center-left coalition and the Five Star Movement lag behind with 25.5-29.5% and 13.5-17.5%. The small centrist Third Poll is predicted to obtain 6.5-8.5%.
An extraordinarily low voter turnout was recorded as only 64.67% of the electorate has been reported to have turned up to vote in this election, making it a dramatically low figure in a country with a historically high level of political participation.
Giorgia Meloni is an Italian politician and journalist. A member of the Chamber of Deputies in Italy since 2006, she currently heads the Brothers of Italy political party and has been the president of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party since 2020.
If the right-wing allies secure the reins of government, Meloni is expected to become Italy’s first female prime minister.
Meloni caused controversy when she promoted a slogan used in the era of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. She has also repeatedly criticized the EU’s refugee policy.
As for the other right-wing party leaders, Berlusconi is known for his friendly relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Salvini is critical of EU sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.
