In Italy, a major country of the EU = European Union, voting for the parliamentary election began on the afternoon of the 25th, Japan time.


Right-wing parties critical of the EU are gaining a majority of seats in parliament, and voters' decisions are attracting attention as they may affect the future unity of the EU.

Italy's parliamentary elections were held over 400 seats in the lower house and 200 seats in the upper house, and voting began at 7:00 am local time on the 25th and 2:00 pm on the 25th Japan time at more than 60,000 polling stations.



In the election, the left-wing Democratic Party led by former Prime Minister Letta and the left-wing 5-Star Movement led by former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte were opposed to the right-wing coalition of the "Brotherhood of Italy" party led by Meloni, who is critical of the EU. And so on.



An opinion poll earlier this month showed that the combined approval rating of the three main right-wing parties has risen to 45%, and is on track to win the majority of seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. There is a growing view that



Meloni, however, has been controversial for her past statements endorsing her dictator Mussolini and has repeatedly criticized the EU's refugee policy.



Also, among the leaders of the two political parties allied with the "Brotherhood of Italy", former Prime Minister Berlusconi is personally close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Interior Minister Salvini has criticized the EU's sanctions against Russia.



For this reason, the decision of voters is attracting attention as it may affect the unity of the EU in the situation of Ukraine if the right-wing forces gain power.



Voting will be closed at 6:00 am on the 26th, Japan time, and the votes will be counted on the same day, and it is expected that the majority will be known around noon on the 26th.

Expert: “The policy of the new government will have a large impact on the EU as a whole”

Professor Takeshi Ito of the University of Tokyo Graduate School, who is familiar with Italian politics, commented on how Meloni, the leader of the "Brotherhood of Italy" party, which is the center of right-wing forces, will fight in the final stages of the election campaign, saying, "In order to solidify the support base, the EU = European Union and strongly advocated for stricter regulations on immigration.”



However, if the "Brotherhood of Italy" becomes the first party and Meloni becomes Prime Minister, "I have the task of rebuilding the economy, which has been hit by the spread of the new coronavirus, with support from the EU recovery fund. , there must be a judgment that it cannot take a hardline stance against the EU," he said, and that he would actually seek a realistic route.



On the other hand, it is known that Mr. Salvini, leader of the Alliance, and Mr. Berlusconi, leader of Forza Italia, are close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "It could lead to a stronger stance, which could force Meloni to compromise at some point."



On the impact of Italy's move to lessen its tough stance on Russia, he said, "Germany and France are also facing the challenge of keeping inflation under control while focusing on Ukraine. The impact of what Italy says, which is at the core of the EU, is great," he said, warning that the policies of the new Italian government will have a large impact on the EU as a whole.