Italy goes to the polls in the European elections, a thermometer for Meloni – EUREFE Euractiv

Rome/Prague/Madrid (EuroEFE).- Italy, Malta, Slovakia and Latvia go to the polls this Saturday in European Parliament elections, which represent a political thermometer for the far-right Georgian government in the first of these countries. Meloni is the leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) party, of which the Spanish Vox is a member.

In Italy, where voting began this Saturday at 3:00 pm local time (1:00 am GMT) and will continue until Sunday night, not only will the European elections take place, but Municipal elections over 3,700 locations across the country and Regional elections in Piedmont (Answer).

Appointment is important for Meloniewho, after more than a year and a half in power, has presented himself as Candidacy for European election In a symbolic gesture – since it is not expected that he will ever hold a seat in the European Parliament – ​​but important His ambition to lead far-right forces on the continentTill now the European Parliament was divided into two groups.

“Voting is important because Our future for the next five years is decided,” declared Meloni. After voting this Saturday at a school in the Mostaciano neighborhood, southeast of Rome.

Meloni is the protagonist of two major unknowns in these European elections: Will his group in the European Parliament (ECR) reach a result? Coalition agreement with the current President of the European Commission and the main candidate for the European People’s Party (EPP), Ursula von der Leyen; and if he will negotiate with the other far-right political family in the European Parliament, Identity and Democracy (ID), to form a macrogroup In that hemicycle.

French far-right leader, Marine Le Penwhose party ID is part of the group and who has notable differences with Meloni, This union of the extreme European parliamentary right seeks to embody And Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also encouraged this.But The gaps are notable On a number of issues, such as Euroscepticism, this potential fusion is therefore unclear.

Internal Pulse in Italy

Internally, the election will serve to measure the strength of the opposition from the Democratic Party (PD) and the 5 Star Movement (M5S), although the Brothers of Italy led by Meloni are the favourites in the polls, with analysts predicting a win. a reduction that can exceed 50% Of the voters.

To Italy, the third most populous country in the EU, has 76 representatives In the European Chamber of 720, the vote is preferential and each voter can choose up to three candidates, Unlike Spain, where there is only one constituency,

In the elections for the Regional Council and for the presidency of the Piedmont region, the current president of the center-right coalition formed by the Meloni brothers of Italy, Alberto Cirio, is the conservative Forza Italia by Antonio Tajani and the far right too Matteo Salvini League, Formed an alliance with Le Pen at European level.

“A vote for peace, Against attackers like (Emmanuel) Macron,” Salvini said when voting this Saturday, in reference to the French president, whom he criticizes for his military proposal to support Ukraine in its war with Russia.

In addition, 17 million people have been called to vote for the elections in 3,715 municipalities. 47% of the area in the countryWhich includes voting in towns and cities across Italy.

First countries to vote

Voting also began on this Saturday Malta, Latvia and Slovakia, The country where it happened in May Assassination attempt on the Prime Minister, left-wing populist Robert Fico,

It is hoped that Fico’s party, Smara (who was expelled from the group of Social Democrats in the European Parliament for stopping military support for Ukraine), Win the elections in Slovakia with 23% The progressive opposition PS, led by former European Parliament vice-president Michael Scimeca, then won the vote.

The Slovak prime minister reappeared in the public scene this week with a video in which he forgave his attacker and blamed the attack on the opposition, saying it was politically motivated.

Meanwhile, voting closes in the neighbourhood this Saturday Czech RepublicWhere citizens were still able to vote on Friday and participation was higher than usual.

The surveys estimate that Populist opposition party ANOThe European liberal family Renew Europe, which is part of the party, gets 23 to 27% of the vote, followed by 21%. Centrist government coalition SPOLU, whose members are part of the Group of Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and the European People’s Party.

Voting centers have also been closed NetherlandsWhich on Thursday became the first European Union country to vote in these elections Where the Greens, Social Democrats and the far right wonAnd the voting is over In Ireland, which this Friday joined the process along with the Czech Republic,

In Ireland, the European vote count begins this Sunday can last for several dayssince one of the representation systems in that country is The most complex in the world.

The latest survey was conducted as of A favourite of the Irish Independents and a faction of minority groups, among whom are xenophobic voices and the extreme right, followed by the party Left-wing Sinn FéinMain opposition leader.

What has begun in Ireland is a recount of the local elections that took place on Friday, and it involves the country’s two main parties. Christian Democrat Fine Gael and centrist Fianna FailThey dispute the victory.

The rest of the EU will vote on Sunday

Most countries, including Spain, will go to the polls this Sunday, and some will also hold elections to choose other authorities.

is a case of Bulgaria is holding its sixth general election in three yearsThere’s no exit in sight Political blockade: Parliament is expected to become more fragmented and overridden vetoes more common made it impossible to form a stable executiveLocal analysts therefore predict new legislative elections next autumn.

Competing in these elections are two pro-European candidates to lead Bulgaria, a populist who has survived politically for two decades, and a man accused of corruption: Nikolay Denkova, Boyko Borisov and Delyan Peevski, respectively.

In Belgium, the election cycle is threefold (federal, regional and European) and it is expected The far right wins in Flanders (country answer) and left-wing and centrist parties in Wallonia (South) and Brussels, a situation which, if confirmed, would complicate the formation of a government.

is about One of the few countries in the European Union where voting is compulsoryAnd this year, for the first time, young people aged 16 and above will participate in the elections.

Belgian election campaign Much attention has been focused on federal and regional elections, which have overshadowed the European elections, where Belgium elects 22 seats and Favorites are the far-right The Flemings of the Vlaams Belang, whose victory would strengthen the European far right.

Edited by Lucia Leal

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