The European election polls were published on the night of May 27. Matteo Salvin’s ‘Lega’ won 29 seats in the European Parliament, the Democratic Party 19, the 5-star Movement 14, Forza Italia 7 and Fratelli d’Italia 6. Here are the full results:
Here is a representation of the first leading three parties in each Italian region: The League of Salvini is green, the 5 Star Movement is yellow and the Democratic Party in Red.
The European elections are about giving all adult European citizens the opportunity to select who will represent them in the European Parliament. Although there are some common rules regarding the elections, some aspects can vary by country, such as whether it is possible to vote by mail or from abroad. European Parliament president Antonio Tajani has previously stated: “We have to change Europe and make it more effective by answering citizens’ concerns and building upon what we have already achieved.”
Political parties which had polled less than 4% of votes couldn’t nominate a candidate for the European voting. These parties include the Italian Communist Party, CasaPound (Italy’s neofascist party), and left-wing parties Free and Equal, and Articolo 1.
Since the last Italian political vote, in 2018, Salvini (Interior Minister) and Di Maio (Minister of the Economic Development) have been ruling together. This is the first time in Italian political history that two parties have ruled together in a single government mandate, and this has become known as Governo Conte, after Giuseppe Conte, Italy’s Prime Minister and President of the Council of the Ministers. They are very media-savvy, and use such slogans as #Prima gli italiani, #ContinuareXCambiare or #Vota Italiano. All these slogans are used to make sure all Italians are included in what they call the “Government of Change”, as they claim use common sense to make Italy great again. The priority of this government is to improve Italian people’s security and standard of living.
Giuseppe Conte, Italy’s prime minister and President of the Council of Ministers
The five main Italian political candidates at the European elections with their electoral programmes are detailed below, in order of their success at the elections:
Matteo Salvini (Lega)
European Party: Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom
Matteo Salvini’s aim is to ally with other sovereignist and right wing nations, such as France’s Marine Le Pen, (Rassemblement National), Germany’s Jörg Meuthen (Alternative für Deutschland), Finland’s, Olli Kotro (The Finns Party), Denmark’s Anders Vistisen (Dansk Folkeparti), Austria’s Heinz-Christian Strache (Austrian Freedom Party), Holland’s Geert Wilders (Party for Freedom) to “make Europe great again”.
Proposals on Europe:
- Combating immigration and human trafficking, fighting for a reduction of Islamization of Europe by blocking Turkey from joining Europe
- Seeking an end to all conflicts in the Middle East / Africa;
- Defending cultural traditions and nationalisation of each country, recognising cultural, artistic, musical, culinary and historical aspects, with particular emphasis on protecting Italy from Islamization;
- Fighting corruption and the Italian mafia and, to achieve more national security, and to hire more military and police forces;
- Defending the Made in Italy brand and decreasing globalisation;
- Continuing work to finish the TAV, or “Treno ad alta velocità”, a high-speed Turin-Lyon train service, leading to job creation, more efficient Franco-Italian trade, to the economic advantage of Italy and France.
Nicola Zingaretti (Partito Democratico)
European Party: Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Proposals on Europe:
- Opening ports for everyone and welcoming immigrants;
- Fighting unemployment;
- Increasing the salary of parliamentarians, and hiring a new president of the European Commission;
- Promoting democratic socialism in every nation and abolishing “fascist and racist” right wing and populist parties;
- Uniting Europe, making it a single country, single army, single economy, with equal rights for everyone.
Luigi Di Maio (Movimento 5 Stelle)
European Party: None
Proposals on Europe:
- Abolishing two European parties: European People’s Party (aligned with Forza Italia) and the Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (aligned with Partito Democratico).
- Establishing a minimum wage for European MPs
- Cutting salaries of European commissioners;
- Redistributing migrants within EU countries;
- Putting citizens at the centre of Europe, through a referendum;
- Ending austerity, and investing more money in technology and development;
- Eliminating GM food, respecting the environment, by promoting electric cars and solely renewable sources;
- Promoting the Made in Italy brand, decrease bureaucracy for farmers and workers in general;
- Fighting tax evasion, corruption and crime;
- Fighting the Italian mafia.
Silvio Berlusconi (Forza Italia)
European Party: European People’s Party
Forza Italia is another centre-right wing party, so ideas between Lega, Fratelli d’Italia an this are pretty similar in many aspects, although, they do have their own European Electoral programme.
Proposals on Europe:
- Ceding more power to the European Parliament (proposed by Antonio Tajani, European parliament president);
- Uniting European countries, armies and economies, to make a single political defence.
- Maintaining and improving relations with the West (NATO);
- Helping young workers and companies to develop;
- Stopping illegal immigration;
- Protecting the Made in Italy brand;
- More foreign investment;
- Respect for the environment.
Giorgia Meloni (Fratelli d’Italia)
European Party: Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
The electoral campaign of Fratelli d’Italia focuses on nationalist sentiments and takes up some themes closer to populist and sovereign political forces, however generic:
Proposals on Europe:
- Giving Italy a more prominent role in Europe, breaking “Franco-German hegemony” and reforming European finance starting with the European Central Bank;
- Protecting the Made in Italy brand;
- Fighting the Italian mafia to bring more security to the streets, employing more military and police forces;
- Making sure Italy won’t be treated as other European ’s nations’ puppet state;
- Creating a naval blockade in the Mediterranean to prevent irregular immigrants from entering with boats
- Finding and processing all human traffickers;
- Stopping austerity, reducing bureaucracy and taxes;
- Implementing the European maternity income (i.e. a monthly allowance for each dependent child);
- Defending Italian properties or houses, and give housing to Italians rather than immigrants, or ROM;
- Defending the environment and healthcare;
- Fighting poverty;
- Defending Christian identity from the Islamization;
- Increasing resources to fight crimes in Italy and Europe
The Lega dominates the north and the centre excluding Tuscany, which is dominated by the Democratic Party. The 5 Star Movement dominates the entire south, despite its 17% loss, which has been a ‘lesson’ and a great disappointment for them, compared to the last elections held in 2018 when they won 32%.
The Lega, on the other hand, is growing, and since the last election its share of the polls have risen from 19% to 34%, making it the leading party in Italy, with 10 points more than the second Italian party, the Democratic Party.
The European parties rank as follows:
People’s Party (centre-right) earning 178 seats
European Socialism Party (left), earning 153 seats
Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, earning 105 seats ,
European Free Alliance (Greens, environmentalists) earning 69 seats,
European Conservatives and Reformists (Right) gaining 63 seats,
Europe of Nations and Freedom (Right-Extreme Right), earning 58 seats
However, this year has seen a great victory for the European sovereignist and reformist parties, as Le Pen beat Macro to become the leading party in France, while in Italy Salvini’s party’s triumphs have made the Lega the leading Italian party.