Far-right coalition claims victory in Italy’s election

A coalition led by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy is set to form the country’s most rightwing government since the end of the second world war. Promising to govern for all Italians, Meloni claimed victory after exit polls gave her coalition a clear majority. Meloni will become Italy’s first female prime minister and a model for nationalist parties across Europe as she heads one of the EU’s six original member states. Meloni’s party, which has neofascist origins, is also set to scoop up 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. Meloni said Italian voters had given a clear mandate to the right to form the next government and called for unity to help confront the country’s problems. ‘This is the time for being responsible,’ Meloni said, describing the situation for Italy and the European Union as ‘particularly complex’.