Giorgia Meloni, current Prime Minister of ItalyTiziana Fabi / AFP
Published 04/28/2024 12:27 | Updated 04/28/2024 12:28
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced this Sunday that she will contest the elections for the European Parliament as the first name on the list of the Brothers of Italy party, a maneuver that aims to boost the far-right party.
Meloni’s party received the most votes in the 2022 national elections, with 26%, and polls indicate that it should obtain a similar result in the European elections in June.
With Meloni at the top of the list, the party can capitalize on its popularity, although European Union rules state that a winning candidate who already holds a ministerial post must immediately resign from the bloc’s parliament.
“We want to do in Europe exactly what we did in Italy on September 25, 2022, create a majority that brings together the center-right forces and, finally, send the left into opposition in Europe as well,” Meloni said at a rally his party in Pescara.
In an impassioned speech in which he addressed various topics, from surrogacy to Ramadan, Meloni highlighted the achievements of his coalition government in 18 months, citing the fight against irregular immigration and the protection of families and Christian values.
After an hour on the stage, Meloni announced his intention to run in the European elections.
“I do it because, in addition to being president of Irmãos de Itália, I am also a leader of European conservatives who want to play a decisive role in changing the course of European politics,” she stated.
During the campaign for the 2022 elections, Meloni criticized the EU, attacked what he called the “LGBT lobby” and what he described as politically correct rhetoric from the left.
