Conservative coalition gains power in Italy

The Brothers of Italy party won the most votes in the parliamentary election with about 26 percent. Party leader Giorgia Meloni will likely become the country’s first female prime minister when the three-party conservative coalition forms the government in a few weeks. Brothers of Italy has drawn criticism for its neo-fascist roots, but Meloni said during the campaign that “the Italian right has handed fascism over to history for decades now.” She also said the party will work for all of Italy.

Who is Meloni? Meloni started the Brothers of Italy party in 2012. Her campaign slogan was “God, fatherland, and family,” and she campaigned for traditional family values and an anti-immigration platform. She called for a naval blockade of Libya, where many immigrant smuggling boats set out for Italy.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift on Sweden swinging to the right in its election last week.