Italy’s Meloni Party Wins Most Seats In EU Election

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's arch-conservative Brothers of Italy group won the most votes in the European parliamentary election over the weekend, boosting her standing both at home and abroad.

With almost all ballots counted, Brothers of Italy won 28.8 per cent of the vote, more than four times what it took in the last European Union election in 2019 and exceeding the 26 per cent it secured in the 2022 national ballot when it rose to power.

"I am proud that Italy will present itself to the G7, to Europe with the strongest government of all. This is something that has not happened in the past but is happening today, it is a satisfaction and also a great responsibility," Meloni said early on Monday from the party's headquarters.

The opposition centre-left Democratic Party came in second with 24 per cent of the vote, while another opposition group, the 5-Star Movement, was third with 9.9 per cent – its worst showing at a countrywide level since its creation in 2009.

The EU ballot indicated that Meloni's ruling coalition, made up of parties that stretch from the centre-right to the far right of the political spectrum, saw its support climb to more than 47 per cent from just under 43 per cent in 2022.

"The results weren't at all given, it is a resounding achievement and shows that all the parties of the majority have been able to grow together," Meloni said later in the morning on RTL 102.5 Radio.

"It's a spur for (the government) to move forward. Italians are giving us a loud and clear message to go ahead with our work ... and if possible with greater determination."

Forza Italia, founded by the late Silvio Berlusconi, was in fourth place with 9.7 per cent of the vote, surpassing the anti-immigrant League, which had 9.1 per cent, a disappointment for leader Matteo Salvini, who has pushed his party hard right, antagonising its old guard.

Underscoring tensions in the League, party founder Umberto Bossi voted for Forza Italia this time around, his allies told Italian media this weekend, sending a jolt through the group.