Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni set to form Italian government

Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Giorgia Meloni, leader of the right-wing Brothers of Italy, is prepared to form a government after meeting with President Sergio Mattarella.

Meloni was at the Quirinal Palace -- one of three official homes of Italy's president -- on Friday with the expectation that she will be named prime minister. If sworn in, she would be the first woman to hold the post in Italy's history.

Previous Prime Minister Mario Draghi served for just more than a year. An Independent, he resigned in July.

Meloni's party, the Brothers of Italy, is a far-right populist and national conservative party with neo-fascist roots. It became the largest party in the 2022 election, making up a large portion of the Chamber of Deputies, one of two lower houses in the Italian government. The right is in the majority in the Chamber of Deputies after last month's election. The Brothers of Italy hold 114 of 237 right-wing seats.

Meloni stated her intention to lead a new government in a tweet on Thursday. Italy has had 69 different governments since World War II, when Benito Mussolini was prime minister and Italy was governed by the National Fascist Party. This was also the last time Italy was governed by a fascist party.

Meloni's rise to power has caused concern for the European Union. Italy's government has long been unstable and countries like France and Germany have been hesitant to join in on welcoming her to the fold. She has pledged support for NATO and Europe, but has also touted anti-African immigration directives and an Italy-first focus.