Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the Brothers of Italy party
ROME, Sept 26 (NNN-Xinhua) — Right-wing Brothers of Italy was the most voted party in the Italian elections held to renew the parliament on Sunday, exit polls showed.
The nationalist party led by Giorgia Meloni won 22 percent to 26 percent of the vote, according to an exit poll unveiled by Consorzio Opinio Italia pollster and state TV RAI News 24 soon after polling stations were closed.
If confirmed, Meloni would most likely become the first woman to serve as the country’s prime minister in the most right-wing government Italy has had in recent decades.
A jubilant Meloni said voters had given the right-wing a clear mandate to govern and that she would lead a government for all Italians.
Meloni was speaking at her party’s election night campaign centre in Rome after a projection suggested the Brothers of Italy had emerged as the biggest party in Sunday’s elections, with 26 percent of the vote.
While the results were not yet definite, she said, voters had sent a “clear indication that they want a centre-right government to guide Italy.” As her supporters hugged, Meloni said the fact that the Brothers of Italy had secured the most votes was a moment of pride.
“If we are called upon to govern this nation, we will do so for all Italians, with the aim of uniting the people … to make them proud of being Italians, to waive the Italian flag,” Meloni told the media in a much more subdued tone than usual strident rhetoric. “You chose us, and we will not betray you,” she said, unable to disguise her emotion.
Its coalition partners, Matteo Salvini’s League and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forward Italy, are expected to win 8.7 percent and 8.2 percent respectively – enough to guarantee a parliamentary majority for the alliance, according to the forecast by SWG on private channel La 7. — NNN-XINHUA
