Italy's PM Meloni to stand in EU elections to boost ruling far-right party

RFI

29 April 2024 at 1:51 am·2-min read

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced she will stand in June’s European Parliament elections to boost support for her far-right Brothers of Italy party and encourage European conservatives, though she will not take up the seat if elected, as it would mean she would be forced to resign head of government.

"We want to do in Europe exactly what we did in Italy on 25 September 2022: creating a majority that brings together the forces of the right to finally send the left into opposition, even in Europe," Meloni said at a party conference to set out EU policies and launch the campaign on Sunday in the coastal city of Pescara.

With calls for Italy to leave the euro zone, Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, which has roots in Benito Mussolini’s Fascist group, came in first in the 2022 general election, with 26 percent of the vote.

Since the election Meloni has followed a broadly pro-European line, particularly on foreign policy and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Unifying European conservatives

On Sunday, Meloni praised her government’s efforts to combat illegal immigration, protect families and defend Christian values in its 18 months in office, before announcing she would be running for a seat in the European Parliament in the 6-9 June elections.

"I'm doing it because in addition to being president of Brothers of Italy I'm also the leader of the European conservatives who want to have a decisive role in changing the course of European politics," she said.

(with newswires)

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Unifying European conservatives

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