According to the results published after the polls closed, the right-wing coalition led by the Brothers of Italy party, headed by Giorgio Meloni, is the winner of the Italian parliamentary elections.
As reported by RAI television, right-wing coalition can expect between 41 and 45 percent of the vote, the center-left coalition led by the Democratic Party between 25 and 29.5, and the Five Star Movement between 13 and 17.5 percent of the vote.
The strongest in the right-wing coalition is the Brothers of Italy party, which will likely win around 26 percent of the vote, while the weakest member is the Forward Italy party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, which exit polls predict will receive between 6 and 8 percent of the vote.
Giorgia Meloni, 45, will become the first female prime minister in Italy’s history, having previously reshaped the image of a party associated with neo-fascist ideology.
She started her political career in a neo-fascist youth organization, and then became the leader of the far-right party Brothers of Italy. Although she harshly criticized the EU and in one period even advocated a possible exit from the Union, now she does not want that but, as she says, advocates EU reforms tailored to Italy.
Meloni has condemned Russian aggression, is in favor of sanctions against Russia and the delivery of arms to Ukraine, and in the campaign she promised to recover the economy, which has been hit hard by prices, as well as additional social benefits.
Early elections were called after the fall of the national unity government, led by Prime Minister Mario Draghi, when the Five Star Movement left the parliamentary majority. Part of that government was not only the Brothers of Italy party, which influenced the growth of its popularity.