Far-right coalition claims victory in Italy's election

Promising to govern for all Italians, Meloni claimed victory after exit polls gave her coalition a clear majority. Meloni will become Italy's first female prime minister and a model for nationalist parties across Europe as she heads one of the EU’s six original member states.

Meloni’s party, which has neo-fascist origins, is also set to scoop up by far the biggest share of the vote within the coalition, which includes the far-right League, led by Matteo Salvini, and Forza Italia, headed by Silvio Berlusconi.

Meloni said Italian voters had given a clear mandate to the right to form the next government and called for unity to help confront the country’s problems. 'This is the time for being responsible,' Meloni said, describing the situation for Italy and the EU as 'particularly complex'