Low voter turnout as far-right eyes historic Italy victory

• 

Italian general elections witnessed a low voter turnout on Sunday forecast to put a far-right party in control of the government for the first time since World War II.

Far-right Brothers of Italy party runner-up Giorgia Meloni intends on becoming Italy's first female PM, allied with two other parties on the right, as she displays her rejection of being linked to Italy's fascist past, but she advocates Western sanctions on Russia and supports an old slogan adopted by fascists - "God, fatherland, and family."

Read: Italy's new far-right thrives on anti-immigrant discourse

The Interior Ministry's figures show that turnout was 51% at 1700 GMT, four hours before polls closed, compared to more than 58% at the same stage in 2018.

Meloni, "the novelty, the only leader the Italians have not yet tried", is expected to be chosen by many voters, Wolfango Piccoli of the Teneo consultancy told AFP.

Brussels and the markets are closely following up, amid concern that Italy may be the latest nation to veer hard right, just after the far-right outperformed in elections in Sweden.

If Meloni wins, she will be in charge of a country that suffers from uncontrolled inflation and a coming winter energy crisis due to the war in Ukraine.

The third largest economy in the eurozone recovered after the Covid-19 pandemic but is burdened with a debt worth 150% of gross domestic product.

It is worth noting that the far-right party demonstrates its "Italians First" nationalist agenda that vows to end mass migration into the country as a key aspect of their campaign. Meloni's main opponent in the polls - center-left Democratic Party leader Enrico Letta - is due to face a struggle as he shares policies with the Five Star Movement led by Giuseppe Conte.