PM Shehbaz Sharif felicitates Giorgia Meloni on winning polls

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated Italian politician Giorgia Meloni on her party’s success in Italy’s General Elections.

In a tweet on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said he looked forward to working closely with the new government for further strengthening Pakistan- Italy bilateral relations.

Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (FdI) group topped the polls, propelling an alliance of right-wing parties to clear majorities in both houses of parliament.

As head of the largest single party, Meloni will almost certainly get the nod from the head of state to form a new government and face up to a daunting array of problems, including surging energy prices and war in Ukraine.

“When this night is over, we must remember that we are not at the end point, we are at the starting point. It is from tomorrow that we must prove our worth,” the 45-year-old Meloni told party faithful.

The rapid rise in her fortunes is intricately tied to the transformation of Brothers of Italy, which has moved out of the shadows and into the mainstream without ever fully repudiating its post-fascist roots.