Italy picks Meloni sending shockwaves throughout Europe

Italy picks Giorgia Meloni – leader of the Brothers of Italy Party – as the country’s first female Prime Minister, sending shockwaves throughout Europe.

Meloni’s Brothers of Italy with its fellow right-wing coalition partners is reported to hold 44% of the vote in both houses of Parliament. Her victory will not only make her the country’s first female Prime Minister, but also the first right-wing leader to have been elected since the Second World War.

The elections were announced 6 months early after Italy’s 18-month (Pandemic) national unity government collapsed in July after failing to secure a vote of confidence due to a boycott by three parties.

The Brothers of Italy Party now needs the support of two other right-wing parties to keep the House and Senate secure for a smooth term. Italians, alienated from left-wing politics (for now), have chosen the right to fix the many crises that plague the country, including soaring electricity and gas prices – all thanks to the previous policies along with the war in Ukraine.

Italy, being Europe’s third-largest economy and one of the founding members of the Union, has been a major concern for the European Union as a tilt there would mean massive roadblocks for the Union’s left leaning leaders and policies. Meloni has been a staunch critic of the establishment in Brussels, and her rise might just be the tip of the iceberg starting the long speculated domino effect of other EU countries flipping to the right.

Not only does her win increase chances for the speculated domino effect but also bolsters leaders in Poland and Hungary who object Brussels’ interference in domestic and political matters.

Meloni’s win comes after Sweden’s Magdalena Andersson of the self-proclaimed “Feminist Government” lost the elections to the Conservative coalition.

The turnout in the election stood low at 63.82%, much lower than in 2018. Meloni will now need to participate in talks with partners before she can assume office.