European elections: Fdi grows again, Pd approaches. Fi ahead of Lega. Turnout under 50%

Fratelli d'Italia grows again compared to the general election of 25 September 2022. The Democratic Party exceeds the psychological threshold of 20 per cent by more than 4 points. Down instead the 5 Star Movement, under 10%, penalised by the low turnout in the South and the Islands (respectively 43.7% and 37.7% against a national average that reached an all-time low at 49.69% against 54.5% in 2019), where Giuseppe Conte's party has traditionally been stronger. The all-center-right comparison between the League and Forza Italia sees Fi with a 9.68% advantage against 9.18% for the Carroccio.

Among the other parties, the Green Left Alliance (6.61%) crosses the 4% threshold to access the distribution of seats in the Europarliament, while neither Stati Uniti d'Europa (3.69%), the 'purpose list' promoted by Emma Bonino's Più Europa and Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva, nor Carlo Calenda's Azione (3.29%) make it. This is the picture of the vote in Italy for the European Parliament.

Giorgia Meloni, putting herself on the line in person (she ran as the leading candidate in all five constituencies even though it was clear that if elected she would never go to Strasbourg), dragged the Fratelli d'Italia list to 28.9%, more than the 26% obtained in the last political elections in 2022. And she more than quadrupled the votes obtained at the European elections five years ago (6.4%). It was the Prime Minister herself who set the bar at 26% to consider herself satisfied with the result (even though the party was aiming to get as close as possible to 30%). An affirmation that, when added to the stability of Lega and Fi, would allow the government coalition to increase its consensus by a few points (around 47%).

The other two government allies also held. An internal competition had arisen between Forza Italia and the League. So much so that the Carroccio leader himself, Matteo Salvini, had said on Saturday when he went to vote: 'I expect to do more than Forza Italia, but I don't make predictions now. The air is good. The data give Fi the lead. Unlike Giorgia Meloni and Antonio Tajani, Salvini has not run, betting heavily on the presence of General Roberto Vannacci on the list.

For Forza Italia (present with the single list together with the centrists of Noi moderati) the result is a great success also because, after Silvio Berlusconi's death on 12 June 2023, no one would have bet that the Azzurri would have been able to hold (let alone exceed) the 8.1% result of the 2022 political elections and the 2019 European elections (8.8%). A personal success for the party secretary (as well as deputy prime minister and foreign minister) Antonio Tajani, who was a candidate in all constituencies, except for the island, and as the leading candidate.