Parliamentary elections have started in Italy. Some 61,000 polling stations have been opened since 7 a.m. 50 million eligible voters are being called upon to re-elect more than 400 deputies and 200 senators. Initially, the turnout was low. The centre-right alliance around right-wing populist Giorgia Meloni leads in the polls. She could become Italy’s first female prime minister. “Today you can help make history. Today we are making history together,” Meloni tweeted, posting a photo of her holding the Italian flag.
The polls will be open until 11 p.m. on Sunday. Information about the turnout is published in between. Post-election polls will be published after the election. A result is not expected until Monday morning. On Sunday at noon, 18.3 percent of those entitled to vote had cast their vote. In the last parliamentary elections in March 2018, the turnout was 19.1 percent, the interior ministry in Rome announced on Sunday.
Meloni could become the first female prime minister
The centre-right alliance around right-wing populist Giorgia Meloni leads in the polls. In addition to Meloni’s post-fascist brothers in Italy (Fratelli d’Italia/FdI), the right-wing Lega around ex-Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and the right-wing conservative Forza Italia around former Prime Minister Silvio also belong to the alliance. Berlusconi. The center-left forces compete separately. Choice favorite Meloni was convinced of the victory: “Today we will make history together.”
Lega boss Salvini called on voters to go to the polls when voting at a polling station in his hometown of Milan. “As more people go to the polls, the new parliament and government will have more power to respond to the emergencies, which will not be lacking. The more people vote, the stronger Italy will be,” said Salvini. He was confident that his Lega would do well among the three strongest parties.
Lower chance of success for social democrats
The Social Democrats (Partito Democratico/PD) who have ruled so far have not entered into an electoral alliance with the left-populist Five Star Movement. As a result, they have a smaller chance of success. PD leader Enrico Letta repeatedly warned of the danger of a shift to the right in Italy. “Under Mario Draghi’s government, Italy was the heart of Europe and a European engine. With Giorgia Meloni, Italy would slow things down,” Letta said in an interview with the Spanish daily ABC.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella cast his vote in his hometown of Palermo. He also voted for the Sicilian regional parliament. On Sunday 4.5 million Sicilians will be called up for regional elections.
Number of parliamentary seats shrinking this time
Italians vote using an electoral system called “Rosatellum,” which has the same rules for both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. It is a mixture of majority and proportional representation. As a result of a constitutional reform, the number of parliamentary seats is shrinking this time from 945 to 600. Against this background, the election campaign ran faster than before.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
