Hungary's national-conservative Prime
Minister Viktor Orban and French far-right leader Marine Le Pen
on Monday congratulated rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI) leader
Giorgia Meloni on her victory in the Italian general election
Sunday.
"Congratulations, a deserved victory," said Orbán on Facebook
under a photo of the two leaders together.
National Rally leader Le Pen also hailed Meloni's "historic"
victory at the head of a centre-right coalition featuring League
leader Matteo Salvini and Forza Italia (FI) chief Silvio
Berlusconi.
"The Italian people has decided to take back its destiny,
electing a patriotic and nationalist government," said the
French politician.
"Well done Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini, for having
resisted the threats of an anti-democratic and arrogant European
Union, obtaining this great victory".
Le Pen added: "At a time when the whole of Europe is waking up,
after Poland, Hungary, Sweden and now Italy, I urge you to join
the National rally".
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki earlier also used
Twitter to congratulate Meloni, with her right-wing party
looking set to be the driving force of a big win for the centre
right in Sunday's general election.
Morawiecki's Law and Justice party and FdI are both in the ECR
group in the European Parliament, along with the Sweden
Democrats and Spain's Vox.
Jordan Bardella, a MEP and lead member of Le Pen's National
Rally group, was also among the first to toast Meloni's expected
triumph.
"The Italian people have given a lesson of humility to the
European Union which, via the voice of Ms Von Der Leyen, sought
to impose their vote on them," Bardella said via Twitter. "No
threat of any type can stop democracy: the European people are
raising their heads and taking their destinies in their hands".
France will be watchful on the respect shown by Italy's
"post-Fascist" likely premier Meloni for human and abortion
rights after her victory in Sunday's general election, French
Premier Elisabeth Borne said according to France Presse.
"We will obviously be watchful, and with the European Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen, to make sure that these values
on human rights, on mutual respect, and in particular on the
respect for abortion rights, will be respected by all," she told
BFM TV.
Von der Leyen irked the Italian right ahead of the election by
saying the EC had the "tools" to ensure respect for human rights
if Italy adopted policies promoting nationalist stances and
crimping human rights like those in Hungary and Poland.
Meloni, a self-styled 'Christian mother' who campaigned under
the slogan "God, Family and Fatherland", has railed against gay
lobbies, woke ideology and the alleged replacement of white
Christians in Europe, said she will set up a naval blockade
against migrants, and that she will give women wanting an
abortion an alternative.
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