Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Sunday that she will run in June’s European elections in a bid to boost support for her Brothers of Italy party, according to Reuters.
Giorgia Meloni’s party is Italy’s most popular with 27 per cent support, ahead of the opposition Democratic Party (PD) with about 20 per cent and the left-wing 5 Star Movement with 16 per cent. Her Brothers of Italy party has its origins in Benito Mussolini’s fascist group.
She will be the first name on the ballot paper from the Brothers of Italy party in all five Italian constituencies in the EU elections, but has promised she will not use any minute of her time as prime minister to campaign.
“We want to do in Europe what we did in Italy … create a majority that brings together the centre-right forces and send the left into opposition,” Meloni told cheering party supporters at a conference in the coastal city of Pescara.
Meloni called for Italy to leave the eurozone when she was in opposition, and her election in 2022 has caused concern in some European capitals. However, in office she has maintained a generally pro-European, orthodox line, especially on foreign policy issues such as Ukraine and the Middle East.
PD leader Elly Schlein announced last week that she would also run, as did Antonio Tajani, head of the centrist Forza Italia party, part of the ruling coalition. Together, all three leaders hope to win the votes of people who have little interest in politics but are attracted by the names of party chiefs on ballot papers.
The European Parliament vote on 6-9 June will be a key test of strength for her 18-month-old right-wing coalition.
