Meloni has been a major disappointment to the Italian people, as she sided with the Deep State over and over. leading many to ask what they have over her? She had such promise…. and now… they vote.
Italians have begun voting on the third of four days of European elections held across 27 EU countries. Although these elections are meant to select the next European Parliament, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hopes the results will solidify her control over Italian politics. She has even encouraged voters to “just write Giorgia” on their ballots.
Voting in the EU Parliament elections wraps up tomorrow. What should we expect?
While we may see the Greens losing in some countries and the extreme right making gains in Italy and France, revolutionary change is unlikely, says @carlbildt.
Europe #In60Seconds pic.twitter.com/NqtwOPIWW0
— GZERO Media (@gzeromedia) June 8, 2024
Most EU countries are voting on Sunday, following a tumultuous period marked by physical attacks on two European leaders and several other politicians. Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was assaulted in Copenhagen on Friday evening, ahead of Sunday’s Danish vote. She sustained minor whiplash, and a suspect has been detained. European leaders expressed shock at this latest attack, which occurred in the midst of elections involving approximately 373 million European voters.
Last month, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico survived an assassination attempt and was only recently released from the hospital. Several German political figures have also faced attacks. Although these elections are not supposed to impact national politics, the reality is different, especially in Italy.
Meloni, who heads the far-right Brothers of Italy (FdI), was appointed prime minister in 2022. Unusually, she has placed her name at the top of her party’s ballot, despite having no intention of taking a seat in the European Parliament. Since becoming prime minister, Meloni has maintained steady poll ratings, bolstered by a fragmented centrist and left-wing opposition and the decline of her coalition partner, Matteo Salvini’s once-powerful populist League party, whose voters are increasingly drawn to the FdI.
In an effort to reverse this trend, Salvini has pushed his party’s rhetoric further to the right. The League’s electoral posters have denounced various EU-backed initiatives, attracting both ridicule and considerable attention. Salvini’s lead candidate, Roberto Vannacci, has also garnered significant media coverage. Vannacci, an army general dismissed for publishing a book with homophobic and racist views, has continued to promote these views as a League candidate. This media attention could translate into votes for the League, but failure to do so may lead to challenges to Salvini’s leadership.
Today’s vote in Italy is huge for PM Giorgia Meloni (the only national leader running.) It could also make or break far-right League party leader Matteo Salvini.
Senior Defense Correspondent @jacopobarigazzi explains.
More on Meloni’s big moment: https://t.co/V7NDQcgNtY pic.twitter.com/Rt849jOA4I
— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) June 9, 2024
The left-wing Democratic Party (PD) will also face scrutiny. Its leader, Elly Schlein, needs to match the 19% vote share achieved in the 2019 elections to maintain her position. On the far left, attention will be on Ilaria Salis, an antifascist activist detained in Hungary since 2023 for allegedly participating in the beating of three far-right militants. She is now running on the Left/Greens platform.
Italians can cast their votes until late Sunday evening, while other European countries have already finished voting. The Netherlands voted on Thursday, and a Dutch exit poll indicated a close race between a left-green alliance and Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party. Ireland and the Czech Republic voted on Friday. Slovakia, Latvia, and Malta voted on Saturday, with the Czechs voting for a second day.
In Germany, the center-right CDU/CSU is predicted to potentially surpass Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party. Scholz’s party is competing for second place with coalition partners the Greens and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has been embroiled in scandals involving foreign interference, espionage, and accusations of Nazism.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party is contending for second place with a resurgent Socialist party, both trailing Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, which consistently polls above 30%. Macron urged a high voter turnout, warning that “Europe has never been so threatened” by the rise of the right.
Other leaders have also expressed urgent messages ahead of the EU vote. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, recovering from surgery after last month’s assassination attempt, attacked Slovakia’s liberal opposition and foreign-funded NGOs, blaming them for creating a climate of hatred. Hungary’s Viktor Orban, a vocal opponent of EU support for Ukraine, warned of escalating conflict and criticized the EU’s “war psychosis.”
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni joined voters in Italy and a half dozen European Union nations in casting a ballot during the penultimate day of European Union parliamentary elections on Saturday.https://t.co/Z36eUWEnv7
— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) June 9, 2024
Italian polls will be the last to close at 23:00 (21:00 GMT) on Sunday. Projections combining early results from some EU member states with estimates for the rest will be released soon after.
Major Points:
- Italians have started voting in the European elections, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hoping the results will strengthen her political influence.
- Recent attacks on European leaders, including Denmark’s Prime Minister and Slovakia’s Prime Minister, have heightened tensions during the elections.
- Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy party has gained popularity, while her coalition partner Matteo Salvini’s League party has seen a decline, prompting Salvini to adopt more extreme rhetoric.
- The left-wing Democratic Party and far-left candidates like Ilaria Salis face significant scrutiny as they aim to match or exceed previous election performances.
- Other EU countries, including Germany and France, are also voting, with significant competition among various parties, reflecting a broader rise in right-wing sentiments across Europe.
RM Tomi – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
