The anti-establishment 5-Star
Movement (M5S) and the anti-migrant, Euroskeptic League were the
big winners in Sunday's general election while the centre-left
Democratic Party (PD) was the big loser in a vote that produced
a hung parliament and prompted PD leader Matteo Renzi to quit.
The M5s came out as Italy's top party with 32% of the vote
with over half ballots counted, about 2% more than it had been
polling before the election.
M5S premier candidate Luigi Di Maio on Monday hailed the
M5S's success in the general election as "historic".
"It's a beautiful day, despite the rain," he said.
"It's an historic result and was an undescribable emotion",
he said coming out of his house in Rome.
The League was hovering at 18% compared to pre-election polls
of 14-15%, and overtook its coalition ally, Silvio Berlusconi's
centre-right Forza Italia (FI) which got about 14%.
It was just over a percentage point behind the PD.
In terms of coalitions, the centre right also featuring
Brothers of Italy (FdI) which got 4% was top with 36%, while the
PD-led centre-left coalition was around 24% with the PD itself
slumping to around 19% from pre-electoral polls of 23-4%.
League leader Matteo Salvini hailed the League's win.
"It's an extraordinary victory," said Salvini, which "fills
us with pride, joy and responsibility".
He said "I see it as a vote for the future, the Italians have
rewarded the future".
Salvini added: "The team with whom you must talk and govern
is the centre right.
"I'm someone who keeps his word and the commitment regards
the centre right coalition, which has won and can govern".
The centre right came top among coalitions with 37% of the
vote compared to the centre left's 24%, but fell short of
winning a ruling majority.
Salvini is now the coalition's premier candidate with the
League having outscored FI.
Salvini added: "I will remain a populist, those who listen to
the people are doing their duty.
"Italians are fed up with radical chic".
The vote "punished the arrogance of Renzi and his people",
Salvini said.
Salvini also rejected the idea of forming a coalition with
the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), which got 32%,
saying "No to strange coalitions. No, no, no...".
He went on: "It will be President (Sergio Mattarella) who
will choose the premier who has the numbers closes to reality".
His deal with Berlusconi, he recalled, meant that "the party
that got one vote more than the other would have the honour and
burden of meeting the challenge of bringing the country out of
the quicksand".
"I have not heard from Berlusconi, I'll do it later, but
deals between friends are clear," Salvini said.
"That's what we're going to do," he said referring to his
installation as centre-right premier candidate.
Salvini said he could rule out broad "special-purpose,
time-limited or institutional governments.
"We're not taking part in minestrone governments," he said.
Salvini said he hoped European Commission President
Jean-Claude Juncker would remain at the EC helm for as short a
time as possible.
"I thank Juncker for the words he said in the election
campaign (against populism), because the more he speaks the more
votes we get. Let's hope he stays president of the European
Commission for the shortest time possible".
Financial markets have nothing to fear from the victory of
the rightwing populist League, Salvini said.
"The markets have nothing to fear, on the contrary," said
Salvini.
"Lower taxes and faster justice should stimulate investment,"
he said, adding that "Italians decide for Italy, not Berlin or
the (bond) spread".
PD Farm Minister Maurizio Martina said "it's a clear and
marked defeat".
Emiliano Fiano of the PD secretariate said "it's a big
defeat" that called into question the leadership of former
premier Matteo Renzi.
But Industry Minister Carlo Calenda said ""we must understand
the mistakes together, but there should be no reckoning (about
Renzi's place)".
Renzi is set to speak this afternoon.
The new leftwing Free and Equal (LeU) party of former Senate
Speaker Pietro Grasso also failed to achieve its goal, scoring
about 3.3% compared to pre-election polls of 6-7%.
PD ally More Europe (+Europa) of former foreign minister and
European Commissioner Emma Bonino got 2.6%, below the entry bar
of 3%.
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