- Paul Kirby
- BBC correspondent from Rome
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Meloni is expected to form the most right-wing government in Italy since World War II.
Italy (Italy) far-right leader Giorgia Meloni has won the general election and is expected to become the country’s first female prime minister. Meloni is expected to form the most right-wing government in Italy since World War II. Her election victory shocked much of Europe as Italy has the EU’s third-largest economy.
However, Ms Meloni said following the vote that her party, the Brothers of Italy, would “govern for all” and would not betray the people’s trust. “Italians have sent a clear message in favour of a right-wing government led by the Italian Brotherhood,” she told reporters in the capital Rome, holding a sign reading “Thank you! Italy”.
She will win regarding 26 percent of the vote, according to provisional polling results, ahead of her closest rival, leader Enrico Letta, who represents the center-left party, with 19.3 percent.
Meloni’s right-wing coalition, which also includes Matteo Salvini’s far-right coalition and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right Forza Italia, now appears to have won. The country’s Senate and House of Representatives are expected to receive 42.2 percent of the Senate’s vote.
The decision of who becomes Italy’s next leader is in the hands of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and it will take time to know the outcome.
While Meloni has worked hard to soften her image, highlight her support for Ukraine and downplay anti-EU rhetoric, she leads a party that has grown from neo-fascists that honor the country’s past dictator Benito Mussolini The rise of molecular movements.
Earlier this year, Meloni outlined her priorities if she were to govern in a raucous speech to Spain’s far-right party Vox: “Pro natural family, once morest LGBT rights group lobbying, for gender identity, Against gender ideology, once morest Islamic violence, for secure borders, once morest mass immigration, say no to big international finance… resist the bureaucrats in Brussels!”
image source,Archyde.com
Italy’s interior ministry said turnout had fallen sharply this time, with 63.82 percent at the end of the polls, nearly 10 percent less than in 2018. Turnout was particularly low in southern regions, including Sicily.
Italy’s center-left Left Alliance was far behind with 26 percent of the vote. Democrat Debora Serracchiani said it was a sad night for Italy. She maintains that the right “has a majority in parliament, but not in the country”.
The left has failed to form a viable coalition with other parties following Italy’s 18-month government of national unity collapsed in July. Even before the vote, incumbent officials were frustrated. The Five Star Movement, led by Giuseppe Conte, is expected to finish third, but despite its party’s some centre-left policies, it is not in the same league as former Prime Minister Letta’s left-wing party Democracy. The Party (Partito Democratico) has been divided.
Italy’s interior ministry said turnout had fallen sharply this time, with 63.82 percent at the end of the polls, nearly 10 percent less than in 2018. Turnout was particularly low in southern regions, including Sicily.
Italy is one of the founding nations of the European Union and a member of NATO, and Meloni’s remarks regarding the EU have led her to be considered close to Hungary’s nationalist leader, Viktor Orban. In addition, her allies have close ties to Russia. Berlusconi, 85, claimed last week that Putin was being forced to invade Ukraine, while Salvini questioned Western sanctions on Moscow.
Meloni wants to revisit the reforms Italy has agreed with the EU in exchange for up to 200 billion euros for post-pandemic recovery and loans. She claims that Europe’s energy crisis has changed the situation. Balazs Orban, the longtime Hungarian prime minister’s political director, was quick to congratulate Italy’s right-wing parties: “More than ever, we need allies with a shared vision and a response to Europe’s challenges.”
In France, Jordan Bardella, a member of the far-right National Rally party, said Italian voters had given European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen a lesson of humility class. Because the latter has previously stated that if Italy chooses to go in a “difficult direction”, Europe will have “the means” to respond.
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The three Italian right-wing leaders united on stage last week for the first time in more than two years.
However, Gianluca Passarrelli, a professor at the University of Rome I, told the BBC he believed that if Meloni came to power, he would at first avoid clashing with European policy and focus on other things: “I think We will see more restrictions on civil rights, LGBT and immigration policies at home.”
Salvini wants to return to the interior ministry to stop refugee boats entering Italy from Libya. The election marks a one-third reduction in the size of both chambers, which will benefit the party with the majority. According to an exit poll by Rai TV, the three major parties will take regarding 227 to 257 seats out of the 400-seat reshuffle. It occupies 111 to 131 seats in the 200-seat Senate.
Salvini said the right had a clear advantage in both houses. The same Rita poll also showed that Meloni’s coalition is likely to dominate, with the centre-left holding just 78 to 98 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 to 53 seats in the Senate.
Italian Party Leader Rarely Accepts Exclusive Interview with Taiwan Media
BBC Chinese correspondent Lu Jiahong
In this election, the outside world is also paying attention to the cross-strait policy that the new prime minister is popular with. In March 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping flew to Rome and signed a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative with then-Prime Minister Antonio Conte. Italy is the only member of the Group of Seven (G7) participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Taiwan official mediaThe Central News Agency published an interview on September 23, Melloni responded to cross-strait issues in writing. This is the first time an Italian political leader has been interviewed by a Taiwanese media in many years. Meloni told the Central News Agency that if there is a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait, it will have a direct impact on Europe. She said the EU should use all political and diplomatic means to “do everything in its power to exert pressure to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait.”
image source,EPA
Taiwan’s official media Central News Agency published an exclusive interview on September 23, and Meloni responded to cross-strait issues in writing.
“Don’t forget that the EU is also China’s main export market, and if they decide to attack Taiwan, it may lead to the closure of the market (exports to China),” she told Central News Agency. She said that the far-right party she leads and Taiwan “because sincere Friendships are linked”. If she can lead the next government, she will promote more bilateral cooperation between Italy and Taiwan.
But her remarks were met with protests in Beijing. After the release of the Central News Agency interview,The Chinese Embassy in Italy also issued a statement on the same day“The Chinese side has noticed some negative remarks related to Taiwan, and used the Taiwan issue to talk regarding things and make a case for being tough on China. The Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the relevant remarks.”
The statement emphasized that “no matter how the international situation changes, adherence to openness and cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win results should always be the mainstream of the development of China-Italy relations. China attaches great importance to developing relations with Italy, and is willing to jointly grasp the correct development direction of China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership.”
In any case, the election has already had an impact on the young people of the country. Jessica, who is from northern Italy and works in the fashion industry in her 20s, told BBC Chinese, “I’m actually not surprised by this result, it’s the result of the prevailing climate of the right wing in Italy today, although the voter turnout is very low. But as a Young women, I fear that the road to civil rights will come to a sudden stop. But as a member of the European Union, I hope that certain extreme policy aspects will be blocked.”
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In this Italian election, the outside world is also paying attention to the new Prime Minister’s popular cross-strait policy.
