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Jan Frederik Wendt
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Tim Vincent Dicke
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Lucas Maier
On Sunday (September 25) there will be elections in Italy. In the polls, the right-wing alliance around Giorgia Meloni is clearly ahead.
- Election in Italy 2022: Forecasts see the political right in front.
- 51.5 million people viewed: Around 3 million voters are called to the ballot box for the first time.
+++ 2.25 p.m.: The elections in Italy have been sluggish so far. At 12 p.m., the official turnout was only around 19 percent, like the dpa with reference to the Ministry of the Interior in Rome. At the moment the turnout is even lower than in the 2018 elections, when it was the election with the lowest turnout in post-war Italy. Experts expect less than 70 percent of those entitled to vote. The polling stations are open until 11 p.m.
The first top candidates from the individual parties have already cast their votes in the ballot box. Contrary to what had been announced, Giorgia Meloni, who was placed high up in the forecasts, did not yet cast her vote. She only wants to vote shortly before the polling stations close, she writes dpa.
Contrary to a stipulation, Meloni and her legal-political allies continue to tweet on today’s election day. “Let’s make history together,” Meloni wrote to her followers on Twitter. According to the guidelines, such statements should be avoided on the day before and on the day of the election. It is not yet known whether there could be any consequences for this. Despite the low turnout, there were long waiting times at some polling stations. An additional procedure to combat election fraud is responsible for this.
+++ 1 p.m.: While 85 percent of eligible voters in Italy turned out in 2001, far fewer are expected this year. The EU country has seen 67 governments since it was founded in 1946.
“20 governments in 20 years, that seems a bit strange to me,” Pope Francis recently told the French news agency AFP. The upper skin of the Catholic Church is said to have said: “Everyone has their own way of dancing tango.”
Election in Italy: New rights and old friends – who will inherit Mario Draghi?
Election in Italy: New rights and old friends – who will inherit Mario Draghi?
+++ 10.25 a.m.: During an election campaign appearance, the post-fascist of the Fratelli d’Italia (FDI), Giorgia Meloni, was incensed about an alleged “expropriation” of 30,000 lido companies. The top candidate in the Italian elections went on to say: “(The companies are) now (have been) left to the foreign multinational companies”, like the ARD reported.
We have the sea and pretend it’s not there. We act as if we were Switzerland!
Background of the excitement is a requirement of EU. According to this, Italy must advertise the beach concessions throughout Europe by 2024. Because most of the almost 8,000 kilometers of Italian coast is in private hands, the prices for tourists are therefore high, as a correspondent of the ARD communicated from Rome. However, existing investments are protected and entrepreneurs who have lived mainly from the lidos in the last five years are also taken into account, reports the ARD.
Update from Sunday, September 25, 7:34 a.m: Parliamentary elections have started in Italy. The polling stations in the Mediterranean country opened at 7 a.m. on Sunday morning (September 25) and the composition of the new parliament can be voted on until 11 p.m. A good 51.5 million Italians are called to vote.
+++ 9.20 p.m.: In a few hours, the polling stations will open in Italy. On Sunday (September 25) voting will begin at 7am. Voters then have the opportunity to cast their votes until 11 p.m. Polls predict a victory for the right-wing camp, led by Giorgia Meloni of the far-right Fratelli d’Italia (FDI) party. Meloni never really distanced himself from Mussolini’s fascism. It would be the first right-wing government on Italian soil since the end of the Second World War. Is the shock now threatening from the right?
Yes, because while the right-wing alliance could achieve an absolute majority, the center-left alliance around the Partito Democratico (PD) with former Prime Minister Enrico Letta is only 28.5 percent in the forecasts. The populist five-star movement would therefore only choose around 13 percent. However, many voters are still undecided.
Italy election: “shame” and “Ursula out” – Salvini protesting in front of the EU building
+++ 5.20 p.m.: Former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini took part in a spontaneous protest on Friday evening (September 23) in front of the EU Commission’s representation in Rome. Supporters held signs with the words “Shame” and “Ursula out” in their hands.
The background is statements by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The German politician was asked by a student on Thursday (September 22, 2022) whether she was worried about an election victory for the right and former Putin friends in Italy. She replied that if EU directives are violated, Brussels has “tools”. This outraged the politicians in particular in the legal alliance, which was clearly the leader in the polls.
Italy election: Favorite Meloni started a career with fascists
+++ 2.55 p.m.: Meloni is considered the clear favorite in the election. Already politically active at the age of 15, in 2008 she became the youngest Minister (Youth and Sport) in the history of Italy. The Fratelli d’Italia party, which she founded, has received enormous support in recent months and could become the strongest single party in autumn 2022.
She started her political career with the youth organization of the “Movimento Sociale Italiano” (MSI), the party founded by the fascists after the Second World War. Now Meloni is in the process of bringing the extreme right to the head of government in Italy. There was no clear distancing from fascism on their part.
Meloni stands for clearly right-wing positions: She wants to ward off migrants – especially from Africa – and wants Italy as a nation state within the EU strengthen. She wants to crack down on crime and build new prisons. Their maxim is “God, fatherland, family”. Meloni has had a daughter (Ginevra) since 2016, but is not married to her father. She opposes the right of homosexual couples to adopt children. She is against abortion – in her biography Meloni writes that she herself was almost aborted by her mother.
Italy election 2022: “Threats, blackmail”? Right-wing populist demands Von der Leyen’s resignation
Update from Saturday, September 24th, 1 p.m.: Shortly before the election in Italy, the tone becomes rougher. The political right in Italy is shocked by a statement by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Regarding the possible shift to the right in the elections on Sunday (September 25), the German politician said: “Should EU guidelines be violated, Brussels has ‘tools’.” As a result of the statements, Salvini took part in a protest in front of the EU Commission representation Rome, opposite the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera the right-wing populist demanded Von der Leyen’s resignation. “Was it threats, blackmail, institutional bullying? The President must either apologize or resign,” Salvini said.
While the political right is raging about Von der Leyen’s statements, holding protest rallies and demanding the resignation of the former defense minister, Silvio Berlusconi makes no secret of his closeness to Russia, as reported by the German Press Agency. Vladimir Putin was urged to attack Ukraine and only wanted to bring “decent people” to the government in Kyiv, the top candidate of the Forza Italia party recently said.
First report from Saturday, September 24th: Rome – The elections are imminent in Italy. After this Resignation of Prime Minister Mario Draghi in July 2022 the parliament will be re-elected on Sunday (25 September).
The top candidate Giorgia Meloni of the right-wing Fratelli d’Italia party is considered one of the favourites. The first forecasts are expected around 11 p.m. on Sunday.
Italy election 2022: Over 50 million are called to vote
More than 51.5 million Italians are called upon to vote in the 2022 Italy elections. With three million of them, it will be the first ballot. The two chambers of Parliament are elected. The voting is possible between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.
The House of Representatives and the Senate are elected using a system of direct and proportional representation. Of the 200 seats in the Senate and the 400 in the Chamber of Deputies, one third each is elected directly in constituencies occupied. The remaining two-thirds are awarded based on the nationwide performance of the respective party, i.e. via proportional representation.
Election in Italy 2022: These are the candidates
The direct mandates in the Italian elections in 2022 could probably be 90 percent go to the right-wing candidate Meloni, according to experts.
- List of top candidates
- Giorgia Meloni: Fratelli d’Italia party
- Enrico Letta: Democratic Party
- Matteo Salvini: League party
- Silvio Berlusconi: Forza Italy
- Giuseppe Conte: Five Star Movement
Should it happen that around 90 percent of direct mandates are awarded to the political right, less than 50 percent would be enough for proportional representation. Whether it’s in Italy will come to the predicted shift to the right or not remains to be seen. The first official results are expected for Monday (September 26). (Lucas Maier)
List of rubrics: © Oliver Weiken/dpa
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