Giorgia Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy party won a decisive victory in the European elections in Italy, with near-final results showing a significant lead. With over 99 percent of the votes counted, her party secured 28.81 percent of the vote, surpassing the 26 percent achieved in the September 2022 national elections. Meloni described the results as "resounding" and emphasized Italy's unique position compared to other European nations, where governing parties generally suffered losses.

Despite historically low voter turnout at 49.69 percent, Meloni expressed pride in the results, noting their importance both politically and personally. She framed the European Parliament elections as a referendum on her leadership, urging voters to write "Giorgia" on their ballots. This success comes just before she is set to host G7 leaders in Puglia.

The election marks a significant turnaround from the 2019 European elections, where her party received only six percent of the vote. Meloni's victory contrasts sharply with the setbacks faced by other European leaders, including France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Olaf Scholz, and Spain's Pedro Sanchez.

Political analyst Lorenzo Castellani noted Meloni's strong political position within the EU, highlighting the potential influence she could wield in Brussels. Meloni has been courted by Ursula von der Leyen of the centre-right EPP group, who seeks a second term as European Commission President, as well as by Marine Le Pen. However, tensions exist between Meloni and Le Pen, as they belong to different groupings in the European Parliament. Daniele Albertazzi of the Centre for Britain and Europe suggested Meloni might prefer to align with the EPP rather than Le Pen's faction.

Since taking office 15 months ago, Meloni has balanced nationalistic rhetoric with pragmatic cooperation with the EU and strong support for Ukraine, earning backing from Washington. Despite her party's success, junior coalition partner Matteo Salvini's League party saw its support drop to 9.0 percent, down from 34 percent in the 2019 European elections. Meanwhile, the centre-left Democratic Party performed well, securing 24.08 percent of the vote, and the Five Star Movement received 9.99 percent.

Meloni, having campaigned in the elections, will not take up her seat as being an MEP is incompatible with holding national political office.

Giorgia Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy party won a decisive victory in the European elections in Italy, with near-final results showing a significant lead. With over 99 percent of the votes counted, her party secured 28.81 percent of the vote, surpassing the 26 percent achieved in the September 2022 national elections. Meloni described the results as "resounding" and emphasized Italy's unique position compared to other European nations, where governing parties generally suffered losses.

Despite historically low voter turnout at 49.69 percent, Meloni expressed pride in the results, noting their importance both politically and personally. She framed the European Parliament elections as a referendum on her leadership, urging voters to write "Giorgia" on their ballots. This success comes just before she is set to host G7 leaders in Puglia.

The election marks a significant turnaround from the 2019 European elections, where her party received only six percent of the vote. Meloni's victory contrasts sharply with the setbacks faced by other European leaders, including France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Olaf Scholz, and Spain's Pedro Sanchez.

Political analyst Lorenzo Castellani noted Meloni's strong political position within the EU, highlighting the potential influence she could wield in Brussels. Meloni has been courted by Ursula von der Leyen of the centre-right EPP group, who seeks a second term as European Commission President, as well as by Marine Le Pen. However, tensions exist between Meloni and Le Pen, as they belong to different groupings in the European Parliament. Daniele Albertazzi of the Centre for Britain and Europe suggested Meloni might prefer to align with the EPP rather than Le Pen's faction.

Since taking office 15 months ago, Meloni has balanced nationalistic rhetoric with pragmatic cooperation with the EU and strong support for Ukraine, earning backing from Washington. Despite her party's success, junior coalition partner Matteo Salvini's League party saw its support drop to 9.0 percent, down from 34 percent in the 2019 European elections. Meanwhile, the centre-left Democratic Party performed well, securing 24.08 percent of the vote, and the Five Star Movement received 9.99 percent.

Meloni, having campaigned in the elections, will not take up her seat as being an MEP is incompatible with holding national political office.