Italy, one of the founding members of the European Union and the continent’s third-largest economy, delivered a striking political shift with a strong rightward result. A conservative coalition led by Giorgia Meloni, joined by Matteo Salvini’s League and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, secured a comfortable majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. With limited exceptions, the ultra-right has colored the national landscape, shifting ground away from the Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement, while still preserving a substantial base.
These indicators, data and visuals illuminate the factors behind Meloni’s clear victory.
Southern Italy disappointed
Voter turnout in Italy tends to be strong, yet participation began to drift downward in recent years, especially in the south. Across the 2013-era perspective and onward, abstention rates rose in the southern regions, a trend seen again on election day. Calabria, Campania, Apulia, Basilicata, Abruzzo, and Sicily recorded higher levels of abstention than the north and central regions. In Calabria, a region marred by governance issues and organized crime, only about half of eligible voters cast ballots, roughly 13 percentage points below the 2018 election. In cities like Crotone, turnout was about 45%, signaling deep public frustration with institutions and the political class in the south.
Napoli still captivated by 5 Stars
Even as the Five Star Movement (M5S) faltered nationally, it retained a sizable share of support in Naples. The populist force won a substantial portion of votes in the city of Naples as well as in the Campania region. In the Senate, M5S even captured seats in Naples and broader southern areas, including cities such as Cosenza in Calabria and Foggia in Apulia.
Big cities, progressive
As seen in other countries, the urban-rural split was evident in this election. Despite weak performance nationwide, the coalition led by the Democratic Party (PD) performed well in major cities like Bologna, Florence, Bolzano, Turin, Genoa, and Rome. Interestingly, it captured ground in peripheral districts such as Tor Bella Monaca, the capital’s poorest ward, which had previously been governed by a Brothers of Italy coalition. A closer look shows the PD achieving stronger results in central urban corridors, echoing patterns observed in prior elections.
Right and far right, very strong in the north
The Brothers of Italy-led coalition, including Forza Italia and the League, achieved broad success in the northern regions. The distribution of support among coalition partners shifted compared with earlier years, with notable vote transfers from the League to the Brothers of Italy in regions like Lombardy, Veneto and Piedmont—historic centers of political geography. Analysts attribute this shift in part to the Brothers of Italy attracting votes from small and medium-sized enterprises hit by recent energy-price surges and inflation. A peculiarity: Valle d’Aosta went to an autonomist party, Vallée d’Aoste – Autonomie Progrès Fédéralisme.
Young people, populists and moderates
Among 18- to 24-year-olds, the Five Star Movement and centrist formations, including those associated with Matteo Renzi’s Italia Viva, led by public figures such as Calenda, drew more support than among older cohorts, according to YouTrend data. Conversely, the 55-to-65 age group leaned center-left, while those over 65 favored the Brothers of Italy. Forza Italia found stronger resonance among voters aged 40 to 60.