Italians race to vote in election that could bring far-right Giorgia Meloni to power

From former prime ministers to newlyweds on their wedding day, Italians voted Sunday in an election that could move the country’s politics sharply toward the right during a critical time for Europe, with the war in Ukraine fuelling skyrocketing energy bills and testing the West’s resolve to stand united against Russian aggression.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. (0500GMT) and by noon turnout was equal to or slightly less than at the same time during Italy’s last general election in 2018. The counting of paper ballots was expected to begin shortly after they close at 11 p.m. (2100 GMT), with projections based on partial results coming early Monday morning.

“I hope for good things for Italy because we are living in difficult times and if people vote with wisdom it doesn't matter if the right or the left wins, what matters is that concrete action is taken for the country,” Rome resident Salvatore Rinaldi said outside of a polling station.

Publication of opinion polls is banned in Italy in the two weeks leading up to the election, but polls before that showed far-right leader Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party, with its neo-fascist roots, the most popular. That suggested Italians were poised to vote their first far-right government into power since World War II. Close behind was former Premier Enrico Letta and his centre-left Democratic Party.

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