Toia, Mussolini, Bartolo out. Salis, Vannacci, Bonaccini elected. Tops and flops of the European elections in Italy

Updates from June 25 to July 1.

On June 25, the Green-Left Alliance has announced the official nomination of Ilaria Salis and Benedetta Scuderi in the Northwest constituency, Cristina Guarda in the Northeast constituency, Ignazio Marino in the Center constituency, Domenico Lucano in the South constituency, and Leoluca Orlando in the Islands constituency. Scuderi, Guarda, Marino and Orlando will be part of The Greens/Efa Group, Salis and Lucano will be part of The Left Group.

On June 25, the Democratic Party has announced the official nomination of Alessandro Zan in the Northeast constituency, while Pierfrancesco Maran is elected in the Northwest constituency.

On July 1, Lega has announced the official nomination of Roberto Vannacci in the Northwest constituency, while Paolo Borchia is elected in the Northeast constituency, Susanna Ceccardi in the Center constituency and Aldo Patriciello in the South constituency.

Brussels – On the fourth post-European elections day, the picture of the 76 elected Italian MEPs who will officially take office in the EU Parliament for the next five-year term in Strasbourg on July 16 is becoming increasingly clearer. There are still a few uncertainties and unofficial decisions, which depend on the choices of the head candidates or the multi-elected of the constituency in which to get elected (the former) and on the communication of formal withdrawal by the “facade” candidates (the latter). The coming hours will be decisive, given the tight timelines for the formation of political groups in the EU Parliament with all national delegations and their respective members. 

The results of the 2024 European elections confirmed Fratelli d’Italia as the leading political force with 28.76 per cent of the vote and 24 MEPs elected for the 10th term of the EU Parliament. The first place of the party’s chairwoman and Italian premier, Giorgia Meloni, unlocks the top losers in all five constituencies, including outgoing MEP Chiara Gemma in the Southern one. Speaking of outgoing MEPs, there are six who will remain in Brussels, including the co-chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, Nicola Procaccini, and the head of the delegation Carlo Fidanza. Also passing the ballot test are Giovanni Crosetto, nephew of the defence minister (Guido), and Veneto Regional Councilwoman Elena Donazzan, while Vittorio Sgarbi in the South and the now former MEP Vincenzo Sofo, husband of France’s far-right Reconquête vice-president, Marion Maréchal (just expelled from party), remain excluded.

The convincing electoral performance of the Democratic Party—which with its 21 new members will become the largest delegation within the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group—also shows a number of new political heavyweights taking office in the EU Parliament: the president of the Emilia-Romagna region, Stefano Bonaccini, the outgoing mayors of Bergamo, Giorgio Gori, Florence, Dario Nardella, and Bari, Antonio Decaro, the former President of the Lazio region, Nicola Zingaretti, former Senator Sandro Ruotolo, as well as former President of Emergency, Cecilia Strada, and journalists Lucia Annunziata and Marco Tarquinio. MEP Alessandro Zan has yet to lift his reservation on whether he will be elected in the Northwest or Northeast constituency, there are six confirmations among the outgoing MEPs, including Brando Benifei, the head of delegation. Among the big losers are Patrizia Toia and Pietro Bartolo.

The formal withdrawal from the race by Forza Italia President and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani is expected any day now, unblocking the first losers in the Northwest, Northeast, Center and South constituencies. It will benefit outgoing MEPs Massimiliano Salini (Northwest) and Salvatore De Meo (Center), while former Verona mayor Flavio Tosi will arrive in Brussels along with his seven other colleagues. Among the members of the delegation in the ninth term of the EU Parliament are confirmed Fulvio Martusciello, as well as Herbert Dorfmann of Südtiroler Volkspartei (member of the European People’s Party group), while the six left out also include Alessandra Mussolini (the first candidate in the southern constituency, Caterina Chinnici, has been re-elected after Edy Tamajo‘s renouncing). 

The collapse of the Lega also resulted in a haemorrhage in the number of elected MEPs (8) and confirmed former members of the delegation (6 out of 16 candidates). There will certainly be Silvia Sardone, Isabella Tovaglieri and the fresh “acquisition” Raffaele Stancanelli (first in the Islands constituency), while the choice of Roberto Vannacci (first in Northwest, Northeast, Center and South) will leave out one among Paolo Borchia, Susanna Ceccardi, Angelo Ciocca, and Aldo Patriciello. Sources inside the Lega delegation do not confirm the news that Vannacci opted for the Northwest, cutting Ciocca out.

Flop also for the 5 Star Movement with eight elected MEPs. Of the ex-members running for office, Maria Angela Danzì and Sabrina Pignedoli (first in the Northeast, but no one elected in the constituency) were left out, with only Mario Furore confirmed in the Southern constituency bringing four MEPs, including former president of INPS, Pasquale Tridico. Also returning to Brussels is former MEP in the M5S quota between 2014 and 2019 Dario Tamburrano.

The picture remains very complicated for Green-Left Alliance, which for the time being sees Ilaria Salis, the mayor of Riace (re-elected on June 9), Domenico Lucano, and the former mayor of Rome, Ignazio Marino, the first two in the Italian Left quota and the third  in Green Europe, as certain to take office in the EU Parliament. But the choices of the ones who are certain to make it to Brussels will decide the fate of five potential MEPs, who are vying for the remaining three seats: Young Greens’ co-spokesperson in Europe, Benedetta Scuderi (fourth in the Northwest), the Greens’ regional councilwoman in the Veneto Region Cristina Guarda (second in the Northeast), and the head of Rights and Freedom of the Italian Left, Marilena Grassadonia (second in the Center), Green Europe MEP Francesco Emilio Borrelli (second in the South), and former mayor of Palermo Leoluca Orlando (third in the Islands).

Among the outstanding exclusions is former S&D MEP Massimiliano Smeriglio, as well as Rosa D’Amato, an ex-M5S and then independent in the Greens/Ale group.

The elected Italian MEPs

Here you can find the list of all elected MEPs by constituency and party.