A right-wing coalition scored a broad victory in Italy's general election to form a new parliament on Sunday, official results showed Monday evening.
As vote counting concluded in 99 percent of polling stations across the country, nationalist Brothers of Italy was put at 26 percent of the vote, according to data provided by the Interior Ministry.
As such, its leader Giorgia Meloni would most likely become the country's next prime minister. If so, she would be the first woman ever to serve in this role, and would lead the most right-wing government in Italy's post-war history.
The Brothers of Italy campaigned in coalition with two allies, the League party and center-right Forza Italia party, which gained some 8.7 percent and 8.1 percent, respectively. Therefore, their weight in the next government was expected to be less pivotal than that of Meloni's party.
"Italians have entrusted us with a relevant responsibility, and it will be our task to not let them down and to make our best to restore the nation's dignity and pride," Meloni commented on her official Facebook page on Monday.
"We will aim at unifying and at highlighting what can bring us close, not what divides us," she added.
Her main contender, the center-left Democratic Party (PD) led by Enrico Letta got 19 percent of the votes and conceded defeat.
"We are going to make the necessary assessment in the next days, since it is clear mistakes (in their campaign) have been made," Letta said.
Letta also announced that he would lead the party until its next congress, which will be held "as soon as possible," and step down after a new leader is chosen.
While the right-wing coalition all together gained between 43.7 percent and 44 percent of seats, the center-left alliance -- made of PD and three minor allies -- won some 26 percent.
This means the next right-wing government will be able to control a broad majority of seats in both Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
Populist Five Star Movement won over 15 percent, and its leader Giuseppe Conte said they would serve as opposition party in the next parliament.
A fourth contender -- a centrist alliance made of two small forces forged shortly before the campaign began -- reached 7.7 percent overall. Its leader Carlo Calenda announced that it would not side either with the right-wing coalition or with the center-left, and "will be opposition in parliament, but constructively."
Over 50 million citizens, including some 4.7 million living abroad, were eligible to choose the 400 deputies and 200 senators that will form the next parliament. Voter turnout was the lowest ever registered in the country's post-war history, the Interior Ministry said.
The new parliament is scheduled to gather for the first time on Oct. 13, and lawmakers will elect the two houses' speakers in the first meeting. After that, political consultations would begin between President Sergio Mattarella and all parties' leaders in order to form the next government.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service