“Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni was a clear winner, as her Brothers of Italy finished first, likely improving on its 2022 national elections results, to also become the biggest party in the far-Right European Conservatives and Reformists group – now the fourth biggest bloc in the European Parliament,” said the political consultancy Eurasia Group.
Ms Meloni, along with Marine Le Pen, has emerged “significantly strengthened”, said Pawel Zerka, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
“Giorgia Meloni, with a strong position of her party in the EP (European Parliament) and as a government leader in Italy, will be pivotal in shaping the next EU leadership and the EU’s strategic agenda. She can balance cooperation with both the radical Right and the centre-Right on various issues, making her crucial to the EU’s direction in the coming years.”