Mixed reactions to French election results in Italy

Italian reactions to the results of the French elections are not unanimous.

Italy’s main opposition party was one of the few political forces to welcome the result. On the right, as in the first round, League leader Matteo Salvini was the first to react, saying that President Emmanuel Macron’s mobilisation strategy would not work due to the lack of a solid majority.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reacted on the sidelines of the 75th NATO Summit in Washington “I think that interpreting the results as a defeat of the RN is a bit simplistic because, if we want to look at what happened in France, the truth is that no one can claim victory (…) There were three coalitions: none of the three won, none of the three is capable of governing alone.”

For Nicoletta Pirozzi, head of the European IAI (Institute of International Affairs) programme, Giorgia Meloni has reason to be happy with this result. “Le Pen’s defeat is not necessarily bad for Meloni. As things stand, if Le Pen had won, Meloni would have found himself in second place among the right-wing political forces in Europe. After learning that the RN and the League party are going to join Orban’s Patriots for Europe group, Meloni can represent a more cooperative side of the right-wing bloc, so to speak, a side that can strike a deal with the new Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen.”

Many Italians met on the streets of Rome believe that there are lessons to be learned in Italy from what happened in France. One of them, for example, says that “Right-wing parties should stop claiming victory before they have actually won.” A young man is pleased that the younger generations have mobilized. “It would be great to do the same here in Italy and encourage young and old to go and vote.”

As the French left-wing coalition struggles to find a compromise, the political crisis in France will have consequences both in Europe and in Italy.