The emerging numbers make grim reading for Brussels. Over 50 per cent of Italians voted for avowedly eurosceptic parties in an expression of rage against the pro-European establishment. The certainty of a prominent eurosceptic taking the reigns of the EU’s fourth largest economy is growing ever more certain.
Eurosceptic and anti-establishment party Five Star Movement was the largest individual party in the wake of the Italian election results on Monday.
The party, led by 31 years old Luigi Di Maio, has campaigned against the EU’s lack of support to Italy’s unshared burden of immigration and against the European shared currency.
The young leader vowed to fight Brussels on the issues of uncontrolled immigration and financial contribution to the Union against the lack of support from other member states.
Mr Di Maio previously run on a manifesto calling for a euro opt-out referendum but he later retracted his position.
The decision to drop its long-held threat did not, however, stop the M5S candidate for the 2018 Italian Election from issuing a stark warning to the EU.
Speaking exclusively with Express.co.uk in January, Mr Di Maio said: “We need to start a season of debate on what’s not working.
“Certainly, a key contractual card we bring to the table is the €20bn we give to the EU each year.”
Five Star Movement reached an overwhelming 32.6 per cent of the votes in its favour, making the party the main contender to be given the chance to form a government for the 18th Italian legislation.
Reaching first place in the polls, however, was the centre-right coalition between Silvio Berlusconi’s party Forza Italia, right-wing party League and centre-right party Fratelli d’Italia.
The coalition is also believed to have a good shot at convincing President Sergio Mattarella to be given the chance to form a government.
The coalition gained a whopping 37 per cent of the votes combined and will be led by die-hard eurosceptic Matteo Salvini, whose electoral campaign was dominated by a strong anti-EU and anti-immigration sentiments.
As the election results made it clear he was getting nearer to taking charge of the country, Mr Salvini renewed his promise to fight Brussels and to reform the EU’s core treaties.
Speaking at a press conference, the eurosceptic leader said: “With the Italian vote, European people have taken a step forward towards freedom from Brussels’ cages and constraints that have brought hunger, precariousness and insecurity to Europe.
“The Italian vote will give us the chance to rebuild a Europe founded on men and women and not on constraints, bureaucracy and choices made speculators on the back of other people.
“They won’t fool us anymore. In Italy, Italians will decide from now on.
“Not Berlin, not Paris, not Brussels.”
As it stands, no party or coalition reached the 40 per cent majority needed to win the election and form a government, so President Sergio Mattarella will have the job to decide on which newly formed coalition will be given the privilege to run the country.
Whatever decision taken by President Mattarella, it seems Brussels will have to face yet another revolt from a major member state after Brexit.
With the new Italian electoral law, parties will have the chance to form a grand post-election coalition to reach the number of parliamentary seats necessary to run the country.
At the moment, the options seem limited to two very strong anti-EU solutions.
Matteo Salvini could be Italy’s next Prime Minister within the centre-right if the coalition joins forces with a number of independent MPs who have left both the centre-left party the Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement following the election.
Option two would see Matteo Salvini leaving the centre-right coalition to form a new post-election coalition with Luigi Di Maio’s Five Star Movement, giving up the role of Prime Minister to the young populist.
Both outcomes will put incredible pressure on Brussels to address the surge of populism in Europe and calls to leave the bloc coming from many member states following Brexit.