ms. meloni: i think mussolini was a good politician.g he did, he did it for italy, and we can't find this in the politicians we've had for the past 50 years. nick: but 25 years later, on the campaign trail, meloni criticized mussolini. and she vows to stand up to russian president vladimir putin, as she told the conservative political action conference the day after the february invasion of ukraine. ms. meloni: we are on the side of international law. we are on the side of freedom. and indeed, we are on the side of a proud nation that is teaching the world what it means to fight for freedom. nick: but her coalition isn't convinced. salvini used to wear putin t-shirts, and joked he would trade two italian presidents, for half of putin. and burlosconi has described putin as a younger brother. he recently walked back comments that putin's war was about putting quote good people in kyiv, but still wants to restore relations with russia. mr. berlusconi: in terms of history, religion, culture, and lifestyle, russia is absolutely a european st

- _ not betray people's trust. » ms meloni.sked, if we are called to govern this nation, we will do so for all italians, with a clear objective of uniting the people. we will ensure italians will once again be proud to be italian. fist will once again be proud to be italian. �* ~ ' will once again be proud to be italian. �* ~ , ., .,, italian. at 6296, turnout was very low. — italian. at 6296, turnout was very low. and _ italian. at 6296, turnout was very low, and voting - italian. at 6296, turnout was very low, and voting levels l very low, and voting levels were especially poor in southern regions including but her party is set to sicily. but her party is set to win with 25% of the vote. however she will have to share power with other right—wing parties in a coalition. with ford italia, led by silvio berlusconi, and matteo salvini's league party. a meloni lead italy will alarm much of europe, but unlike her right—wing allies, she said is pro—nato and openly said she is pro—nato and has no for vladimir haszngztime for vladimir

ms. meloni to those italian voters right now? >> well, it is very interesting indeed. she was able to create her own political career without having help, no quota, no opportunity in politics. and this for her is a sign of strength without network. the second thing very attractive for italian women is the fact she can rule over men. she has all around her the members of her party, people of the government. they're all men and she is the one like a queen. so there is this identification with power and with the reaction against a tradition male oriented. >> as we said the votes still have to be counted. they have to come up with a coalition government. this could take a very long time and be incredibly messy, but if we look at that far-right coalition as it existed the day of the vote, they certainly have positions even further to the right of ms. meloni, and could she make the argument that the more votes she has gotten in terms of expectations, that if she is in command of a stronger position she can be more centrist, she will be more moderate? is that something the eu

speaking afterwards, ms meloni said her brothers of italy party would govern for everyone and would notwith a clear objective of uniting the people. the great objective is to ensure that we will once again be proud to be italian. at almost 62%, turnout was very low, and voting levels were especially poor in southern regions including sicily. ms miloni's party is set to win with 25% of the vote. however she will have to share power with other right—wing parties in a coalition. with forza italia, led by silvio berlusconi, and matteo salvini's league party. a meloni—lead italy will alarm much of europe, with russia at war in ukraine,, but unlike her right—wing allies, she has openly said she is pro—nato and has no time for vladimir putin. although she has worked hard to soften her image, she leads a party rooted in a post—war movement that arose out of benito mussolini's fascists. still embracing their old slogan, god, fatherland and family, she campaigns against lgbt rights and is calling for a naval blockade of libya to stop migrant boats. she is very, very right wing. a lot of issues ab

ms. meloni's closest rival was enrico letta. 19% of the vot, while the populis five-star movement got about 15%. mr. letta has since announced that he will step down as party leer. also in the party -- >> this was a failure of the pro-european camp that failed to unite. there is a blame game going on now between opposition parties. we should focus on uniting. >> the results of the election marked a return of silvio berlusconi, nine years after he was kicked out for fraud. >> everybody will have some influence on anybody else within the coalition, as it has always been with different balances for 25 years. the coalition of center-right rules many regions today in central italy and has a long history of work. >> there is a concern about her party's links to fascism. >> she says she has jettisoned fascism, has consigned fascism to the history of italy, but there are those who believe it is not so simple. there are the echoes of italy's very dark past that is still pervading parts of her party. she described herself as a modern cons

ms meloni's closest rival was enrico letta from the centre left.vement won about 15%. mr letta has since announced that he will step down as party leader. also in the party is lia quarterpelle. this is her reaction. i would say this was more a failure of the pro—european camp to fail to unite, there is a blame game now going on between opposition parties, i think we should really focus on uniting. the results of the election mark a return to the senate for silvia berlusconi — nine years after he was kicked out for fraud. deborah bergamini is an mp for his forza italia party. everybody will have some influence on anybody else within the coalition, as it has always been with different balances for 25 yea rs. the coalition of centre—right rules many regions today in italy and has a long experience of working together. despite georgia meloni's recent attempts to soften her image, there is real concern about her party's links to facism. here's the bbc�*s mark lowen. she says that she has jettisoned, fascism and she has consigned fascism to the history o

she is predicted to win between 22—26% of the vote, if they are confirmed, ms meloni will aim to formt right—wing government since world war ii. for the latest, we can cross live to rome and our correspondent there, mark lowen. you have been across this story from the very start, and what a busy evening it has been for you. it is fair to say if these exit polls do end up being confirmed that this is a huge shake—up for italy's politics. a huge shake-up for italy's olitics. ., ~ ., ., , politics. you know, the words olitical politics. you know, the words political earthquake _ politics. you know, the words political earthquake are - politics. you know, the words political earthquake are often i politics. you know, the words - political earthquake are often used, and probably overused, but really it feels apt for tonight, because this is a country that now looks like not only has it elected its first ever female prime minister, but its first far right leader since benito mussolini, the fascist leader that led italy into the second world war and was eventually hanged by antifascist parti

ms meloni has promised to tackle the cost of living crisis with tax cuts and takes a hard line on immigrationo her coalition partners — who have traditionally close ties to moscow. 0ur europe editor katya adler sent this report from rome. it's notjust the italian weather that's suddenly turned. politics changed here dramatically after yesterday's election. catapulted from political insignificance to probable next italian premier, giorgia meloni popped up at three o'clock in the morning looking like she couldn't quite believe it. normally seen as a firebrand of the far right, instead she appealed for national unity. translation: italy chose us and we will never betray it. if we are called to govern this nation, we will do so on everybody�*s behalf, for all italians. look at the smile on giorgia meloni's face. she has waited all her political life for this moment. starting as a teenage activist, she now believes she is going to be italy's next prime minister. and this is a country she says she wants to change dramatically. to do that, she will need the support of this man, and others, in a coal

ms. meloni says that, uh, the orientation towards the euro, atlantic solidarity is unshakable, including this party, and it will carry out. this is cosmos at the head of government. in the event that they became heads of government, as well as the position. uh, far from sympathy for russia around uh, the crisis in ukraine, well, i repeat the real real life, it is more complicated than the pre-election statements about sadness. let's see, i would not admire further. in this sense, some some of italy's partners in the european union expressed concern about possible shifts in this foreign policy in the event of the victory of the right-wing coalition party. moreover, they not only expressed concern, but i, but let me remind the viewer, who may not know that the head of the european commission, madam framed, publicly said a few days before the elections that if the elections in italy well, as i deciphered, they would go in the wrong direction, undesirable for of the european union, then the european commission, there are doctors and influences similar to those applied to hungary and poland,

veteran silvio berlusconi's forza italia — is widely predicted to win — and if it does, it installs ms melonie serious challenges. italy's one of the world's most indebted countries — it owes some 2.7 trillion euros. it was heavily dependent on russian gas, and is receiving huge eu support as part of its covid recovery fund. let's go to rome now to speak to professor fabrizio pagani. he has held various italian government roles and now teaches at the guido carli international university of social studies in rome. thank you forjoining me. thank thank you for “oining me. thank ou for thank you forjoining me. thank you for inviting _ thank you forjoining me. thank you for inviting me. _ thank you forjoining me. thank you for inviting me. it _ thank you forjoining me. thank you for inviting me. it is - you for inviting me. it is interesting _ you for inviting me. it is interesting to _ you for inviting me. it is interesting to talk - you for inviting me. it isj interesting to talk about you for inviting me. it is interesting to talk about what is going on in britain and italy, there are clear par

ms meloni's party, brothers of italy, is set to win 26% of the vote — a big jump from the 4% vote sharethat's where she will need the support of her allies — matteo salvini's far—right league and former pm silvio berlusconi's centre—right forza italia. they both got less than 10% of the vote. the american space agency nasa has postponed its launch of the artemis moon rocket because of an approaching hurricane. the rocket, which was due to take off tomorrow, has been rolled off its launch pad in florida and back into its workshop to protect it. we can speak to our science correspondentjonathan amos. about that and something else going on in space. another disappointing moment for the artemis crew, or gang behind it. ., moment for the artemis crew, or gang behind it. . ., moment for the artemis crew, or gang behind it. . . ., moment for the artemis crew, or gang behind it. . ., ., ,., h, moment for the artemis crew, or gang behind it. . ., ., ,., ,., ., behind it. yeah, and nasa bowing to the inevitable, really. _ behind it. yeah, and nasa bowing to the inevitable, really. they- behind it

in the italian general election a right—wing alliance appears to have won, after exit polls put ms meloni'scentre—left party has already conceded. live to our correspondent in rome. the difficulty is working out what the result means. the issue had been the result means. the issue had been the question of turnout, and just how enthusiastic italians were about any of the options offered to them. very unenthusiastic is the answer. the turnout here was 64%, the lowest in the history of the italian republic, so sncf of real apathy and a sense of disillusionment with politics and i think that fared into the rise of giorgia meloni. —— so a sense of real apathy. as the unpopularity and disappointment with the old guard here, the feeling that italy has recycled grey—haired, grey suited politicians for far too long and that this country whose economy has been stagnating for the last 20 years that has a massive brain drain and a political during todd chrissy, it's just not working. the italy that the world love switch art, culture, food and language is not working for a specific proportion of the ita

"giorgia meloni", she says, leader of the brothers of italy, er... ..has never had a reckoning with her movements past. "brothers of italy", says msst elements". is that your position? er...brothers of italy had a past, and a relationship with the past. this relationship with the past is clear, is there, and italians are aware of that. my point is that we will win if we show to the italian people that they are a danger for italy of today because of their position of today. their position of today are a danger for the country, because they will put the country in a corner at european level, because they will create a problem on climate change, on the economy. the economy will, er... you know, they were in government ten years ago. ten years ago, they were in... 11 years ago, they were in government. and they bring...they brought italy close to bankruptcy. they will bring italy in a situation in which, on individual rights, for instance, part of the country won't be part of the family of being part of this community. which...which parts of the country? the lgbtqi, for instance, community. they are against these kind of individual ri

meloni and the nationalist party, leaving her poised to become the next prime minister, should not hobble the u.s. led effort to unify europe for ukraine in the face of russian conquest. even though msmaloni has espouse radical nationalist views and key members of her coalition openly suppose the european union and call for friendlier relations with moscow , as a candidate she expressed support for nato and the defense of ukraine. -- explosive revelations of u.s. intelligence collection that cause massive headaches to the obama administration. they say this hurts national security and puts u.s. agents at risk. russia says the grant came at mr. snowden's request, but was also assigned that mr. putin still has some cards to play in a clash of wills with the west. caller: good morning. i have a couple points i want to make that the media seems to have forgotten about. first of all, you have republicans on, you had bundy on this morning. they come on and say, we must back the blue, back to blue. how can you say back the blue when republican supporters of trump beat up the police at the capital? they beat up at the cap itol, and want congress to just give them a simple award. it was bloc