Summary of the day so far …
Far right politician Giorgia Meloni has claimed victory in Italy’s elections, and near complete results gave her rightwing coalition a clear majority.
Brothers of Italy, Meloni’s party that has neofascist origins, is also set to scoop by far the biggest share of the votes within the coalition, which includes the far-right League, and Forza Italia, headed by Silvio Berlusconi.
Matteo Salvini, the head of the League, has said he would work with Meloni to form a long-lasting, stable government. The anti-immigration politician is seen as a potential weak spot for Meloni’s chances of forming a government in the weeks ahead.
Enrico Letta, the leader of Italy‘s centre-left Democratic party (PD), plans to step down after defeat in the national election. He described the vote as victory for a rightwing alliance led by Giorgia Meloni as a “sad day for Italy and Europe”.
Far right figures across Europe and in the United States have celebrated the news, warning that it heralds a political shift across the continent.
US Secretary of State of State Antony Blinken said Washington was eager to work with Rome’s next government but mentioned “human rights” in a statement that will be seen as as a caution to the Italian far right.
The French prime minister, Elisabeth Borne – while refusing to comment directly on the vote – has said her country will be monitoring human rights, and particularly access to abortion, in Italy.
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A lawyer has pledged to fight in court a decades-old Italian election law that in widespread implementation on Sunday led to thousands of voters, including trans people, being forced into gender-segregated queues.
Hundreds of LGTBQ+ activists denounced discrimination at polling stations in Sunday’s general election. Many told of their experiences on social media, citing how the binary queues failed to consider the “complexity of thousands of voters in Italy whose identity cards do not reflect their gender” and forced them to publicly identify themselves as trans people.
“Gender-segregated queues are a violation of privacy of all those who are making a gender transition,” said Cathy La Torre, an LGTBQ+ activist and lawyer. “Enough is enough. I am not a trans person and I cannot sue the state for violating my privacy, but I am a lawyer and I can launch a battle to change this law.”
Voting procedures in Italy are regulated by a law dating front 1967 that allows for the infrequently implemented separation into men-only and women-only queues at polling stations and states that electoral lists must also be divided by gender.
The law, which has never been repealed, also provides for a married woman to be identified at a polling station with her husband’s surname.
Our Diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour, has written how France and Germany are waiting to uncover Meloni’s “true political identity” once she is in power before making a judgement on how to work with her.
Her career’s roots lie in fascism, and she later seemed to be happy to pose as a sovereigntist opposed to the euro, but over the past five years and by the time of this election she had adopted many of the economic and foreign policies associated with Mario Draghi, the technocrat prime minister she will now replace.
“Meloni has not yet chosen a path of confrontation,” Wintour writes. “The contours of her government, or her definition of the pursuit of the national interest, are unclear.”
France's Macron says respects Italy vote
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that he respected the “democratic choice” of the Italian people.
“The Italian people have made their democratic and sovereign choice. We respect it,” Macron said in a statement. “As countries that are neighbours and friends, we must continue to work together.”
A very pragmatic and guarded response. Certainly not warm, but not hostile either.
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In neighbouring Greece, the far right victory has been labelled “a huge shock” for Europe by leftists, writes Helena Smith in Athens:
In a statement decrying Italy’s electoral result, Syriza, the party that was once the face of the radical left in Europe, described the ascent of the far right as a turning back to some of the darkest days the continent had experienced in the 20th century.
Progressive forces had also played a role, it said, by failing to set aside their differences and “provide answers” to an ever-worsening cost of living crisis.
“The results of the Italian election amount to a huge shock for Europe and its democratic traditions,” said the statement released by Syriza, now the country’s main opposition party, on Monday.
“It is obvious that this development is not a bolt out of the blue. It is a consequence of inequalities broadening and the collapse of social cohesion as a result of neoliberal choices by conservative or technocratic governments in combination with the inability of the wider left to give persuasive answers to the insecurity and fear of working classes. And where fear and insecurity prevails usually xenophobia, nationalism and far right populism blooms.”
The electoral outcome should be a wake-up call to all democratic citizens, the party insisted, calling on progressive forces to properly digest the results so that far right populism did not become an “alternative solution” in Greece when general elections are held next year.
News that a coalition led by the Brothers of Italy is poised to win power in Italy has prompted praise from other European far-right parties, warnings from political moderates – and an expression of profound alarm from the leading Italian writer Roberto Saviano.
With full results from the election due later on Monday, projections based on a partial vote count showed Giorgia Meloni’s nationalist party appeared well positioned to give Italy its first far-right-led government since the second world war.
Far-right Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, used the results of the Italian election to criticise the EU sanctions against Russia, saying they had driven up energy prices. He said the sanctions had “backfired”, adding that angry voters were ousting governments in Europe as a result.
The rightwing Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, extended his congratulations to Meloni in a tweet.
In France, Jordan Bardella, of the far-right National Rally, said Italian voters had given European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen, a lesson in humility. Von der Leyen had earlier said Europe had “the tools” to respond if Italy went in a “difficult direction”.
Bardella wrote: “The peoples of Europe raise their heads and take their destiny into their own hands.”
Antony Blinken: US eager to work with Italy on shared goal of 'human rights'
Quite a diplomatic response from the US Secretary of State, but the mention of “human rights” will be seen as as a caution to the Italian far right.
Following yesterday’s Italian elections, we are eager to work with Italy's government on our shared goals: supporting a free and independent Ukraine, respecting human rights, and building a sustainable economic future. Italy is a vital ally, strong democracy, and valued partner.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 26, 2022
The US far right is awake now, and digesting the news with glee:
So beautifully said.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) September 26, 2022
Congratulations to Giorgio Meloni and to the people of Italy. https://t.co/XdM8U2mFgt
The politician son of Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro has added his voice to the celebration of Giorgia Meloni’s election victory.
“Italy’s new prime minister is God, fatherland and family,” congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro tweeted - the same slogan as his populist father.
Eduardo Bolsonaro rejected claims that Meloni represented “far-right fascism”. “If she was from the left, the headline[s] would say: “THE FIRST WOMAN TO GOVERN ITALY.”
Russia says ready for 'constructive relations' with Italy
The Kremlin has said it is hoping for “more constructive” parties to rule Italy after the centre-right victory in Sunday’s general election.
“We are ready to welcome any political force able to show itself more constructive in relations with Russia,” said the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov, according to the Tass news agency.
On Friday, Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s three-time former prime minister, whose Forza Italia is forecast to return to government, sparked a row after defending Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine.
The 85-year-old billionaire told Italian TV that Russia’s president, an old friend of his, was pushed to invade Ukraine by the Russian people.
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Italy’s new rightwing government should implement pragmatic policies, China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, has said.
We hope that the new Italian government will continue to adhere to a positive and pragmatic policy towards China, supporting the spirit of mutual respect and trust.
On Friday, Meloni told Taiwanese news agency CNA that she would ‘’pull out of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)’’ if she were prime minister. She previously described as “unacceptable” China’s threats against the island, which it claims is part of its territory.
Some pictures from Italy today:
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Italian far-right leader Matteo Salvini expressed disappointment on Monday at his party’s rout in general elections but said he would work with ally Giorgia Meloni to form a long-lasting, stable government, AFP reports:
The result ‘is not a number I wanted I worked for. But we are at 9% in a rightwing government in which we are protagonists,” the leader of the anti-immigration League told reporters.
He added: ‘Around 4:00 am I messaged Giorgia, who obviously I congratulate. She was good, we will work together for a long time.’
The Eurosceptic League swept to office with 17% of the vote in 2018, but since then has been eclipsed by Meloni’s post-fascist Brothers of Italy.
A glum Salvini said Meloni had benefited from being the only party leader to stay outside the coalition formed by the prime minister Mario Draghi in February 2021.
“Brothers of Italy was good at being a strong opposition,” he said.
For the League, being part of that administration “was not easy”, he said, but insisted: “I would do it again.”
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Russian sanctions imposed by the European Union have backfired, leading to increasing energy prices, Hungary’s prime minister has said.
Criticising the action taken by the west, Viktor Orbn said it was no surprise governments across Europe were falling apart – referring in particular in Italy.
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More analysis from our Rome correspondent, Angela Giuffrida:
Giorgia Meloni declared that now was “the time for responsibility” during her victory speech last night, but a serious, stable government could be difficult to achieve given her ally Matteo Salvini’s past track record of collapsing governments and his League party’s dismal performance in the elections.
Support for the League has plummeted to less than 9%, a shocking result for a party that polled at almost 40% in 2019, and one that shifts the balance of power in a coalition, leaving Meloni calling all the shots, much to Salvini’s chagrin, who throughout the election campaign was still positioning himself as prime minister.
In an interview with the Guardian last November, he said he would let voters decide who should lead the government should the coalition win the next election. “I’m not for pink quotas, green quotas or female quotas, what interests me is that [the candidate] is good, man or woman,” he said.
Salvini is a political chameleon who is unlikely to handle Meloni’s rise to power so easily, and poses one of the biggest threats to the stability of her government. Given his party’s performance, what role he’ll take remains uncertain. He wants to return to the interior ministry, a position he held between 2018-2019, a short stint but enough to cause havoc for Italy’s immigrants. President Sergio Mattarella has reportedly signalled that he doesn’t want the interior ministry to go to Salvini again, so this could well be Meloni’s first challenge as she builds a cabinet.
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Enrico Letta, leader of Italy‘s centre-left Democratic Party, to step down
Enrico Letta, the leader of Italy‘s centre-left Democratic party (PD), plans to step down after defeat in the national election.
Letta told a news conference on Monday that he would stay on for the time being but not stand for the leadership at the next party congress, which will be held in the near future.
He described the election victory for a rightwing alliance led by Giorgia Meloni as a “sad day for Italy and Europe”.
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Giorgia Meloni’s new government should “stay united” with the rest of the EU on the war in Ukraine and the resultant energy shock, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Secretary-General Mathias Cormann has said.
“We await the formation of the new government. When we have a new government in Italy we will be happy to work with them to have policies aimed at a better life,” Cormann said in answering a question from Italian news agency ANSA on his message to the next government in Rome.
“In the current context it is good to have strong longterm solidarity in Europe,” he said. Meloni has spoken out strongly in support of the Wwstern line on Ukraine on a number of occasions. However, both her coalition’s partners, the League and Forza Italia, had close ties to Russia and Vladimir Putin before the invasion of Ukraine. On Friday, Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s three-time former prime minister and leader of Forza Italia, sparked a row after defending the Russian president over the war in Ukraine.
The 85-year-old billionaire told Italian TV that Putin, an old friend of his, was pushed to invade Ukraine by the Russian people and by ministers who wanted President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s administration replaced with “decent people”.
The far-right League leader, Matteo Salvini, has also nurtured ties with Russia, heaped praise on Putin in the past and criticised the economic sanctions against the country over its war in Ukraine for “bringing Italy to its knees”.
Read this analysis from our Rome correspondent, Angela Giuffrida:
Giorgia Meloni has spent three decades fighting her way to the top of Italian politics. But despite her political prowess, the 45-year-old from Rome, whose strong will and determination has drawn comparisons to Margaret Thatcher, has limited government experience.
If Meloni is confirmed as prime minister over the next few weeks, she will be in charge of steering Italy through one of its most delicate periods, dealing with mammoth challenges from the energy crisis and high inflation to a possible recession and a winter wave of Covid-19.
Her most immediate challenge, however, would be putting together a cabinet that is fit enough to govern and strong enough to last. A person close to Meloni told the Guardian last week that she was ready to be prime minister, rejecting rumours towards the end of the campaign that the daunting task was making her panicky.
Near-final results show Brothers of Italy have won the most votes
Near-final results give a party with neo-fascist roots, the Brothers of Italy, the most votes in Italy‘s national elections.
The results showed the centre-right coalition netting some 44% of the parliamentary vote, with Meloni’s Brothers of Italy taking about 26%. Her coalition partners divided up the remainder, with the anti-immigrant League of Matteo Salvini winning nearly 9% and the more moderate Forza Italia of ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi taking around 8%.
Full results here:
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Italy’s acclaimed writer Roberto Saviano, author of the exposé of organised crime in Naples, Gomorrah, has posted a stark message after his name started trending on Twitter this morning.
Leggo #Saviano in tendenza perché gli elettori di Meloni mi “invitano” a lasciare il Paese. Questi sono avvertimenti. Questa è l’Italia che ci aspetta. Stanno già stilando una prima lista nera di nemici della patria, alla faccia di chi diceva che il Fascismo è un’altra cosa. pic.twitter.com/iiSKxeEqaq
— Roberto Saviano (@robertosaviano) September 26, 2022
He says:
I have read that #Saviano is trending because Meloni voters are “inviting” me to leave the country. These are warnings. This is the Italy that awaits us. They are already drawing up a black list of enemies of the homeland, in spite of those who said that fascism is another thing.
The white message on a black background says, “Resist”.
Saviano, who since 2006 has lived in hiding, emerging only under police escort due to several Mafia threats, wrote in the Guardian last weekend: “Meloni appears the most dangerous Italian political figure not because she explicitly evokes fascism or the practices of the black-shirted squadristi (militia), but because of her ambiguity.”
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Viktor Orbán team says Meloni shares a 'common vision'
Balázs Orbán, political director to Hungary’s nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, said on Twitter:
Congratulations to Giorgia Meloni, Matteo Salvini and (Forza Italia leader) Silvio Berlusconi on the elections today! In these difficult times, we need more than ever friends who share a common vision and approach to Europe’s challenges.”
Meloni has been repeatedly compared to Orbán, whose actions have led the European parliament to declare that Hungary was no longer a “full democracy”.
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The papers in Italy this morning. All Meloni.
Far right in Germany says left wing is now 'lonely' in Europe
Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has just released a statement, in which the party congratulates Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party:
We as the Alternative für Deutschland congratulate Giorgia Meloni on her election and hope for her that she will be the first woman at the top of an Italian government. Despite all the undemocratic warnings from the EU commission president von der Leyen and other politicians, the Italians have, like the Swedish Democrats before them, decided in favour of a political change. And that is completely their democratic right. The election success of the Fratelli d’Italia is a further victory for common sense. Germany, with its left-green traffic light coalition, is looking rather lonely in Europe right now.”
The statement is signed by Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, the co-leaders of the party which was founded in 2013 and first entered the German parliament in 2017.
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Far right politicians in France congratulate Meloni
French politicians Eric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen have both congratulated Giorgia Meloni in Italy. Zemmour said it showed that the far right getting into power “is possible”.
Marine Le Pen tweeted: “Bravo to Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini for having resisted the threats of the anti-democratic and arrogant European Union and won this major victory.”
Jordan Bardella, a leading member of the far-right Rassemblement National added that the result was “a lesson in humility” for the EU and spoke of “threats” by Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission.
(Von der Leyen has spoken about the far right taking Europe in a “difficult direction”)
“No threat of any kind can stop democracy: the people of Europe are rising their heads and taking their destiny in hand,” Bardella tweeted along with French and Italian flag emojis.
The Elysée has not made any comment as yet. French President Emmanuel Macron was close with former Italian PM, Mario Draghi, which meant there were tight diplomatic relations between the neighbouring countries.
Europe1 radio pointed out that Meloni had “not stopped criticising France” during her campaign, “particularly on the questions of immigration from Africa and Europe”.
Updated
An exit poll from Italian broadcaster Rai gave the rightwing coalition 41%-45% against 25.5%-29.5% for the leftwing bloc. The populist Five Star Movement was on 13.5%-17.5%.
Early official results from the Italian interior ministry confirm exit poll suggestions.
We have a live results tracker that you can see here. It will be automatically updated throughout the day.
French PM says 'we will be vigilant' on human rights after Italian election
After a far-right surge in Italy, the French prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, has said her country will be monitoring human rights, and particularly access to abortion.
“In Europe, we have certain values and, obviously, we will be vigilant,” Borne told RMC Radio and BFM TV. “It is a human rights value and the respect of others, namely the right to have access to abortion, [that] should be upheld by all,” Borne added.
Borne said she did not want to comment directly on the “democratic choice of the Italian people”, but her comments will be seen as remarks on the rise of the Brothers of Italy party.
Their leader, Giorgia Meloni, looks set to become Italy’s first woman prime minister.
She has said she wants to “give to women who think abortion is their only choice the right to make a different choice”. Yet she has raised alarm among women’s rights advocates by saying she wants to “give to women who think abortion is their only choice the right to make a different choice”.
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Buongiorno, and welcome to our Italy election live blog.
It is Monday morning and Italy (as well as the rest of Europe) is waking up to news of what looks like a far-right takeover of Italian politics.
Giorgia Meloni has already claimed victory after exit polls gave her coalition a clear majority, putting her on course to create the most rightwing government since the end of the second world war.
Meloni’s party, Brothers of Italy, which has neofascist origins, is also set to scoop by far the biggest share of the votes within the coalition, which includes the far-right League, led by Matteo Salvini, and Forza Italia, headed by Silvio Berlusconi.
Results will be coming in over the course of the day, as well as reactions and shock from the rest of the world.
I’m Oliver Holmes and I’ll be sending you all the latest updates.
