In his last major appearance before the election, from Rome's Piazza del Popolo, all seemed well on the surface.

The three right-wing parties and their leaders appeared smiling and certain of victory: Giorga Meloni of the Brothers of Italy, Matteo Salvini of the League and Silvio Berlusconi of Forza Italia.

Veteran Silvio Berlusconi was the first to address the voters.

- We are here because we stand united and we make up the real majority in this country.

The left side in Italy is divided and has not managed to unite and the Five Stars, for their part, according to their own statement, do not want to be part of any broad coalitions.

Lega's Matteo Salvini, Forza Italia's Silvio Berlusconi and Italy's Brothers' Giorga Meloni.

Photo: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/TT

Differences on both sides

At the same time, it is increasingly clear that the right-wing coalition is not as united as the parties want to make it appear.

The main differences concern the war in Ukraine, the relationship with Russia, the economic crisis and sanctions.

- I want to rule with Giorgia, but here I don't understand how she thinks.

We must immediately push for 30 billion euros in crisis packages for the people and businesses of Italy, said Matteo Salvini recently at an election meeting.

He has also said several times that the sanctions against Russia "do more harm than good".

Something that Giorgia Meloni does not agree with.

- If Italy abandons the sanctions, it will lead to nothing other than us becoming isolated in Europe, she commented on Salvini's actions on television and continued:

- We will continue to stand on Ukraine's side.

Anyone who says we are not clear about Russia is lying.

Strong reactions

But then the day before yesterday Silvio Berlusconi apologized in the TV program Porta a Porta in RAI Vladimir Putin, with whom he has a friendly relationship.

- Putin only wanted to replace Zelenskyi and the government in Kyiv with decent people and then he was pressured to expand the war.

The statement has caused a stir and strong criticism, including internationally.

At the same time, the Russian embassy in Rome, on its official Twitter account, posted pictures of famous Italian politicians, on both the right and the left, together with Putin and wrote ambiguously: "We have many memories together".

That Moscow follows the election in the EU's third largest country with excitement is clear according to Italian political analysts, as well as that there are already cracks in the façade of Meloni's coalition.