The post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia party, led by Giorgia Meloni, won the legislative elections this Sunday in Italy, according to exit polls. An unprecedented event since 1945.
Fratelli d’Italia won between 22 and 26% of the vote, while its coalition partners, Matteo Salvini’s far-right League and Silvio Berlusconi’s conservative Forza Italia party, won between 8.5 and 12 respectively. 5% and between 6 and 8% of the votes, according to the poll by the Opinio institute for Rai.
Participation down
However, the election did not arouse massive mobilization at the polls. Participation was down sharply this Sunday in Italy. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the turnout was 50% at 5 p.m., down eight points from the 2018 legislative elections.
The decline is particularly marked in the southern regions of the peninsula (-12 points), which had massively contributed to the victory four years ago of the 5 Star Movement, an anti-system formation yet credited with having established in 2019 a ” minimum citizen income” for the poorest.
A “clear advantage both in the House and in the Senate”
For the first time since 1945, a post-fascist party could govern Italy, the coalition between FDI, FI and the League being assured, according to the projections in seats, of having the majority both in the Chamber of Deputies and in the Senate.
The coalition has a “clear advantage both in the House and in the Senate”, rejoiced on Twitter Matteo Salvini. “The night will be long, but I want to thank you already.”
The Democratic Party (PD), the main left-wing formation, has not succeeded in getting the useful vote to play against the far right and must be content with a score oscillating between 17 and 21%.
The 5 Star Movement (M5S, ex-antisystem) obtained between 13.5 and 17.5% of the vote, down from its historic score of more than 30% in 2018.
In pole position to become the first female President of the Council
In pole position to become the first female head of government, Giorgia Meloni, a 45-year-old Roman, who a young activist said she admired Mussolini, managed to de-demonize his image and unite in his name the fears and anger of millions of Italians in the face of to soaring prices, unemployment, the threat of recession or the neglect of public services.
With her two allies Matteo Salvini and Silvio Berlusconi, she promises tax cuts, the blocking of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, as well as an ambitious family policy to boost the birth rate in an aging country.
