2024 European Parliament election in Italy
9 June 2024
All 76 Italian seats to the European Parliament
Opinion polls
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Matteo Salvini Elly Schlein Giuseppe Conte
Party League Democratic Party Five Star Movement
Alliance ID S&D NI
Leader since 15 December 2013 12 March 2023 6 August 2021
Last election 34.3%, 29 seats 22.7%, 19 seats 17.1%, 14 seats
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Antonio Tajani Giorgia Meloni Philipp Achammer
Party Forza Italia Brothers of Italy SVP
Alliance EPP ECR EPP
Leader since 15 July 2023 8 March 2014 3 May 2014
Last election 8.7%, 6 seats 6.4%, 5 seats 0.5%, 1 seat

The 2024 European Parliament election in Italy will be held on 9 June 2024, electing members of the 10th Italian delegation to the European Parliament as part of the European elections held across the European Union.[1]

Background

Fidanza's investigations

On 30 September 2021, Fanpage published an investigation revealing footage recorded with a hidden camera by an infiltrated journalist, in which the MEP Carlo Fidanza, together with the Milan district councillor Roberto Jonghi Lavarini, asked the journalist, who was pretending to be an entrepreneur, to finance Chiara Valcepina's election campaign in the 2021 Milan municipal election, saying they could pay under the table and launder that money. The discussion led to jokes about Jews, black people, references to Hitler's Munich beer hall speech, and Fidanza making the gesture of the Roman salute. Following the publication of the article, Fidanza suspended himself from Brothers of Italy. The investigation also involved the former Lega MEP Mauro Borghezio, the Lega regional councillor in Lombardy, Massimiliano Bastoni, and the Milan city councillor Silvia Sardone, who were filmed while proposing to make the 'third League' with Lealtà Azione, a neo-Nazi movement, masquerading it as a non-profit organisation to distribute parcels of pasta to voters with photos of the candidates on them. Giorgia Meloni, the leader of Brothers of Italy, demanded to see the full footage before being able to judge. The Milan Public Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation for eight people for illegal financing and money laundering, including MEPs Angelo Ciocca and Carlo Fidanza, which was closed in December 2022 due to lack of evidence.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Fidanza was also involved in a corruption investigation by the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office for having made Brescia city councillor Giovanni Acri resign in order to get Giangiacomo Calovini elected, in exchange for the appointment of Acri's son as Fidanza's assistant in the European Parliament. Fidanza and Calovini plea bargained with the Milan Public Prosecutor to one year and four months, avoiding the disqualification from public office that would have been triggered by the Severino Law.[9][10][11]

Campaign

The majority that supported Ursula Von der Leyen's Commission was at the center of the electoral campaign.

Matteo Salvini repeatedly called for the formation of an alternative majority in the European Parliament that included the groups of EPP, ECR and ID, like the center-right coalition that won the 2022 general elections in Italy. Salvini organized an Identity and Democracy convention in Florence on 7 December 2023, where he criticized the European Green Deal, accusing the socialists of ‘illegally occupying’ the European Commission. However, the leader of Forza Italia, Antonio Tajani, criticized Salvini’s idea, not considering an alliance with Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders and Alternative for Germany possible.[12][13]

In an interview with ZDF on 6 August 2023, the President of the EPP Manfred Weber praised Meloni's government, suggesting a possible alliance with Brothers of Italy for the next election. However, he drew a red line with three conditions to fulfill: the support for Ukraine in their conflict, the willingness to build Europe and not destroy it, and the acceptance of the rule of law, denying at the same time an alliance with AfD, RN or PiS. However Markus Söder, the leader of the CSU, turned down any alliance with Brothers of Italy.[14][15] Former German Minister of Justice Katarina Barley accused Weber of opening up to the far right in Europe.[16] During the press conference held on 5 January, Meloni said there are “insurmountable distances” with AfD, while she praised Le Pen.[17]

Electoral system

The party-list proportional representation was the traditional electoral system of the Italian Republic from its establishment in 1946 to 1994, therefore it was also adopted to elect the Italian members of the European Parliament (MEPs) since 1979.

Two levels were introduced: a national level to divide the seats among parties and a constituency level to distribute them among candidates in open lists. Five constituencies were established, each including 2–5 regions and each electing a fixed number of MEPs. At national level, seats are divided between party lists using the largest remainder method with Hare quota. Seats are allocated to parties and then to their most voted candidates.

 North-West   North-East   Central   Southern   Islands  Total
20 15 15 18 8 76

In the run-up to the 2009 European Parliament election, the Italian Parliament introduced a national threshold of 4%. An exception was granted for parties representing some linguistic minorities as such lists can be connected with one of the major parties, combining their votes, provided that those parties reach the 4% threshold and that candidates from minority parties obtain a sufficient number of votes, no less than 50,000 for the main candidate.

Every political party that intends to take part in the election must collect at least 3,000 signatures of eligible voters for each constituency; however, the following lists are exempted from the collection of signatures: all the lists that have at least one group in the Chamber of Deputies or the Senate of the Republic, all the lists that contested themselves in the last political election with their own symbol and that have elected at least one parliamentarian, all the lists that contain the symbol of a list already exempted from the collection of signatures, and the lists that refer in the symbol to a European party or a party of another nation within the European Union that has elected at least one MEP at the last European elections. The latter condition was established in 2019 by the Electoral Offices of the constituencies.[18]

Attempts to amend the electoral law

The Regional Council of Sardinia in 2023 unanimously approved a proposal to split the Islands constituency into 'Sicily' and 'Sardinia' due to the population disproportion between the two Italian regions. The proposal is currently under discussion in the Senate of the Republic.[19][20]

In July 2023, it was informally proposed to lower the electoral threshold from 4% to 3%, the same electoral threshold used for the political elections. This proposal was welcomed by Greens and Left Alliance and Us Moderates. Brothers of Italy didn’t shut it down since they wanted to help Forza Italia, whose future seemed uncertain after the death of its historic leader Silvio Berlusconi, while League and Italia Viva declared themselves against the proposal. The proposal was officially rejected in September when Forza Italia, fearing the competition of Italia Viva and Action in the center, refused to lower the electoral threshold.[21][22][23]

Main parties and leaders

Outgoing MEPs

The table shows the detailed composition of the Italian seats at the European Parliament as of 13 December 2023.

EP Group Seats Party Seats MEPs
Identity and Democracy
22 / 76
 League 22
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
16 / 76
 Democratic Party 16
European People's Party
12 / 76
Forza Italia 11
South Tyrolean People's Party 1
European Conservatives and Reformists
10 / 76
 Brothers of Italy 9
Independents 1
Non-attached members
10 / 76
 Five Star Movement 6
Christian Democracy Sicily 1
Independents 3
Renew Europe
3 / 76
 Action 1
Italia Viva 1
Independents 1
Greens–European Free Alliance
3 / 76
 August 24th Movement 1
Independents 2
Total 76
Source: European Parliament
  1. ↑ On 29 December 2023 he left Forza Italia.
  2. ↑ Suspended from the Democratic Party on 16 December 2022 following the Qatar corruption scandal at the European Parliament[lower-alpha 4].
  3. ↑ On 9 December 2023 he joined Forza Italia.
  4. "Il Pd ha sospeso dal partito l'europarlamentare Andrea Cozzolino, seppure non indagato nel Qatargate". RaiNews (in Italian). 16 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2023.

Summary of parties

This is a list of the main parties which will participate in the election and were polled in most national opinion surveys.

Party Main ideology Leader(s) European
party		 EP Group MEPs at
last election		 Outgoing MEPs
League (Lega) Right-wing populism Matteo Salvini IDP ID
29 / 76
22 / 76
Democratic Party (PD) Social democracy Elly Schlein PES S&D
19 / 76
16 / 76
Five Star Movement (M5S) Populism Giuseppe Conte None NI
14 / 76
6 / 76
Forza Italia (FI) Liberal conservatism Antonio Tajani EPP EPP
9 / 76
11 / 76
Brothers of Italy (FdI) National conservatism Giorgia Meloni ECRP ECR
6 / 76
9 / 76
South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) Regionalism Philipp Achammer EPP EPP
1 / 76
1 / 76
More Europe (+E) Liberalism Riccardo Magi ALDE Renew
0 / 76
0 / 76
Greens and Left Alliance (AVS) Green politics
Democratic socialism		 Angelo Bonelli
Nicola Fratoianni		 EGP
PEL		 Greens-EFA
GUE/NGL
0 / 76
0 / 76
Action (A)[lower-alpha 1] Liberalism Carlo Calenda ALDE Renew
0 / 76
1 / 76
Italia Viva (IV)[lower-alpha 2] Liberalism Matteo Renzi EDP Renew
0 / 76
1 / 76
Italexit (Italexit) Anti-establishment Vacant None None
0 / 76
0 / 76
People's Union (UP) Left-wing populism Luigi de Magistris None None
0 / 76
0 / 76
  1. ↑ Including Populars Europeanists Reformers[24].
  2. ↑ The list will run as The Centre (Il Centro), including New Times – Populars United and Us of the Centre[25][26].

Candidates

League

League leader Matteo Salvini announced on 8 January 2024 that he would not run for the next European Parliament. He also praised Roberto Vannacci, an Italian Army general who became notorious in the summer of 2023 for writing a political book containing homophobic, racist and sexist statements while on duty.[27][28] An internal disciplinary procedure was opened against him by the Italian Army to investigate possible disciplinary offences.[29] Vannacci said he would consider a candidature for the European elections.[30]

Democratic Party

Paolo Gentiloni, outgoing European Commissioner for Economy, turned down the chance to stand as a candidate for the European Parliament.[31]

Brothers of Italy

Giorgia Meloni, leader of Brothers of Italy and 68th Prime Minister of Italy, said during a press conference that she was considering running in the next elections.[32] According to Article 122 of the Italian Constitution, and according to Article 6 of the Access Initial Legal Act approved by the European Parliament, the office of Prime Minister is incompatible with that of MEP, therefore Meloni should immediately resign as MEP.[33][34][35] Silvio Berlusconi was the only italian incumbent Prime Minister to run as a candidate for the European elections in 1994, 2004 and in 2009, resigning as MEP after the elections due to incompatibility with the office of Prime Minister.[36][37]

Opinion polling and seat projections

Vote

Fieldwork date Polling firm Sample size Lega
ID		 PD
S&D		 M5S
NI		 FI
EPP		 NM
EPP		 FdI
ECR		 EV
G/EFA		 SI
Left		 UP
Left		 +E
Renew		 A
Renew		 IV
Renew		 Italexit
NI		 Others Lead
4 Jan IZI 1,068 9.3 19.5 17.0 7.4 — 27.1 4.2 — 3.0 3.5 3.0 — 6.0 7.6
30 Dec – 4 Jan Lab2101 1,000 10.2 19.8 16.2 5.8 0.7 29.4 4.0 — 2.3 3.9 2.8 2.3 2.6 9.6
25 Sep 2022 2022 general election – 8.8 19.0 15.4 8.1 0.9 26.0 3.6 1.4 2.8 7.8 1.9 4.3 7.0
26 May 2019 2019 European election – 34.3 22.7 17.1 8.8 6.4 2.3 1.8 3.1 — — — 4.5 7.6

Projection of seats in the European Parliament

Polling firm Fieldwork date League
ID		 PD
S&D		 M5S
NI		 FI
EPP		 FdI
ECR		 SVP
EPP		 +E
Renew		 AVS
G–EFA–GUE/NGL		 Action
Renew		 IV
Renew		 Italexit
 UP
 Others Lead
Europe Elects[38] 30 Dec 2023 8 17 15 5 26 1 — — 4 — — — — 9
Europe Elects[39] 30 Nov 2023 9 17 14 5 26 1 — — 4 — — — — 9
Der Föderalist[40] 06 Nov 2023 8 17 14 7 25 1 — — 5[lower-alpha 1] — — — — 8
Europe Elects[41] 31 Oct 2023 8 17 14 4 25 1 — 3 4 — — — — 8
Europe Elects[42] 30 Sep 2023 9 19 14 4 25 1 — — 4 — — — — 6
Der Föderalist[43] 11 Sep 2023 8 17 14 7 25 1 — — 5[lower-alpha 1] — — — — 8
Europe Elects[44] 31 Aug 2023 9 19 15 5 27 1 — — — — — — — 8
Europe Elects[45] 31 Jul 2023 9 19 15 5 27 1 — — — — — — — 8
Der Föderalist[46] 17 Jul 2023 8 16 13 7 24 1 — — 8[lower-alpha 1] — — — 8
Europe Elects[47] 28 Jun 2023 8 18 15 6 28 1 — — — — — — — 10
Europe Elects[48] 31 May 2023 8 18 15 4 26 1 — — 4 — — — — 8
Der Föderalist[49] 22 May 2023 8 18 14 7 25 1 — — 4 — — — — 7
Europe Elects[50] 30 Apr 2023 9 17 14 4 24 1 — — 7 — — — 7
Der Föderalist[51] 27 Mar 2023 8 16 14 7 25 1 — — 5 — — — 9
Der Föderalist[52] 1 Feb 2023 8 14 15 7 25 1 — — 6 — — — 10
2019 election 26 May 2019 29 19 14 9 6 1 — — — — — — — 10
  1. 1 2 3 With More Europe.

References

  1. ↑ Ricci, Giulia (17 May 2023). "Elezioni europee, la data ufficiale: si vota tra il 6 e il 9 giugno 2024". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  2. ↑ "La campagna elettorale delle Comunali di Milano di Fratelli d'Italia fra camerati, lobbisti e soldi in nero". Fanpage (in Italian). 30 September 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Inchiesta di Fanpage, la procura di Milano indaga sui finanziamenti a Fratelli d'Italia: la vicenda in 1 minuto". Video: ultime notizie - Corriere TV (in Italian). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  4. ↑ "L'inchiesta di Fanpage su Fratelli d'Italia, Meloni: «Chiedo di vedere il filmato integrale»". Open (in Italian). 1 October 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Lobby nera, i legami della Lega con l'estrema destra e la valigia coi soldi per finanziare la campagna nella seconda parte dell'inchiesta di Fanpage". Open (in Italian). 7 October 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  6. ↑ D’Amato, Alessandro (8 October 2021). "La lobby nera, Borghezio e la Terza Lega che vuole andare oltre Salvini nell'inchiesta di Fanpage". Open (in Italian). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  7. ↑ Mazza, Maria Pia (21 June 2022). "Lobby nera, indagati anche i leghisti Ciocca e Bastoni e Valcepina di FdI". Open (in Italian). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "Milano, inchiesta sulla «lobby nera»: la procura pronta a chiedere l'archiviazione per Fidanza e altri 7 indagati". Open (in Italian). 20 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "Corruzione, chiusa l'inchiesta su Fidanza e Calovini di FdI per scambio di poltrone: "L'eurodeputato è l'ideatore dell'operazione Acri"". la Repubblica (in Italian). 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Carlo Fidanza (Fdi) patteggia una corruzione e si ricandiderà alle europee". MilanoToday (in Italian). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "Corruzione, patteggiano l'europarlamentare Carlo Fidanza e il deputato FdI Giangiacomo Calovini". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 7 June 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "Salvini e i Sovranisti: «L'Europa è occupata da abusivi, il centrodestra unito la libererà»". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 3 December 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  13. ↑ "Tajani chiude a Salvini. "Non saremo a Firenze con i sovranisti europei"". www.ilfoglio.it (in Italian). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "Kuschelkurs mit Italiens Rechten? CSU-Vize Weber in Kritik". ZDFheute (in German). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  15. ↑ "EVP-Chef Weber: AfD mit "Kriegserklärung an Europa"". ZDFheute (in German). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  16. ↑ Maier, Moritz. ""Die konservative Brandmauer gegenüber Faschisten gibt es nicht mehr"". Augsburger Allgemeine (in German). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  17. ↑ "Meloni, operazione Le Pen e le preoccupazioni su Salvini: ecco perché la premier ora apre alla nazionalista francese". La Stampa (in Italian). 6 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  18. ↑ Maestri, Gabriele (10 May 2019). "Elezioni e corsa all'esenzione dalla raccolta firme: un problema di uguaglianza e democrazia". laCostituzione.info (in Italian). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  19. ↑ "Parlamento Italiano - Disegno di legge S. 405 - 19ª Legislatura". www.senato.it. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  20. ↑ "Collegio unico per la Sardegna alle Europee, ok dall'Aula - Notizie - Ansa.it". Agenzia ANSA (in Italian). 17 May 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  21. ↑ "Lo stop di Lega e Forza Italia alla riduzione della soglia al 3% per le elezioni europee". Agi (in Italian). Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  22. ↑ Online, Redazione (9 April 2023). "Europee, accordo vicino per abbassare la soglia elettorale al 3%". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  23. ↑ Verderami, Francesco (16 June 2023). "La grande trattativa sulle elezioni europee: soglia ridotta dal 4 al 3%". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  24. ↑ "Bonetti: "Pensiamo a un nuovo partito. Il Terzo polo non è morto"". la Repubblica (in Italian). 6 October 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  25. ↑ "La proposta di Fioroni: "Una lista di centro con Renzi e Letizia Moratti"". Quotidiano Nazionale (in Italian). 7 September 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  26. ↑ "Voglia di centro, patto Renzi-Mastella per le Europee". La Stampa (in Italian). 15 November 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  27. ↑ Stefanoni, Franco (1 August 2024). "Europee, Salvini: «Non mi candido. Vannacci? Mi piacerebbe, lui vittima dei radical chic»". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  28. ↑ Nast, Condé (21 August 2023). "Chi sta difendendo Roberto Vannacci, il generale dell'Esercito autore di un libro razzista e omofobo". Wired Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  29. ↑ Rainews, Redazione di (4 December 2023). "Avviata un'inchiesta disciplinare su Vannacci, il generale subito in licenza". RaiNews (in Italian). Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  30. ↑ "Vannacci si candida con la Lega? "Ci penso, grazie Salvini"". Adnkronos. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  31. ↑ "Gentiloni: 'Non mi candiderò al Parlamento europeo' - Europa - Ansa.it". Agenzia ANSA (in Italian). 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  32. ↑ "Meloni, non ho ancora deciso se candidarmi in Ue - Ultima ora - Ansa.it". Agenzia ANSA (in Italian). 4 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  33. ↑ "Act concerning the election of the representatives of the Assembly by direct universal suffrage". EUR-Lex. 20 September 1976. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  34. ↑ Bernardin, Daniele De (13 May 2019). "Candidati alle europee, tra scelte pubblicitarie e incarichi incompatibili". Openpolis (in Italian). Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  35. ↑ "La presidente del Consiglio può candidarsi alle elezioni europee?". Pagella Politica (in Italian). Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  36. ↑ Bertoncini, Marco (27 March 2009). "Le elezioni europee e le preferenze a uso interno" (in Italian). ItaliaOggi. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  37. ↑ "Pazza idea. Meloni capolista in tutta Italia alle Europee (di P. Salvatori)". HuffPost Italia (in Italian). 21 July 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  38. ↑ "EU Parliamentary Projection". Europe Elects. 2023-12-30.
  39. ↑ "EU Parliamentary Projection". Europe Elects. 2023-11-30.
  40. ↑ "European Parliament seat projection". Der (europäische) Föderalist. 2023-11-09.
  41. ↑ "EU Parliamentary Projection". Europe Elects. 2023-10-31.
  42. ↑ "EU Parliamentary Projection". Europe Elects. 2023-09-30.
  43. ↑ "European Parliament seat projection". Der (europäische) Föderalist. 2023-09-15.
  44. ↑ "EU Parliamentary Projection". Europe Elects. 2023-08-31.
  45. ↑ "EU Parliamentary Projection". Europe Elects. 2023-07-31.
  46. ↑ "European Parliament seat projection". Der (europäische) Föderalist. 2023-07-20.
  47. ↑ "EU Parliamentary Projection". Europe Elects. 2023-06-28.
  48. ↑ "EU Parliamentary Projection". Europe Elects. 2023-05-31.
  49. ↑ "European Parliament seat projection". Der (europäische) Föderalist. 2023-05-25.
  50. ↑ "EU Parliamentary Projection". Europe Elects. 2023-04-30.
  51. ↑ "European Parliament seat projection". Der (europäische) Föderalist. 2023-03-30.
  52. ↑ "European Parliament seat projection". Der (europäische) Föderalist. 2023-02-03.
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