ROME, Italy (AFP) — Italian far-right leader Giorgia Meloni, whose party came top in general elections, said Monday she would seek to lead the next government and would work for all Italians.

"Italians have sent a clear message in favor of a right-wing government led by Brothers of Italy," she told reporters in Rome, adding that "we will do it for all" Italians.

According to projections around one in four voters in Sunday's election backed Meloni's party, which has neo-fascist roots.
But the party leads a coalition set to win a majority in parliament.

Her success represents a seismic change in Italy, a founding member of the European Union and the eurozone's third largest economy — and for the EU, just weeks after the far-right outperformed in elections in Sweden.

Meloni, who campaigned on a motto of "God, country and family," is expected to become Italy's first female prime minister, although the process of forming a new government could take weeks.

At a time of soaring inflation, a looming energy crisis and the war in Ukraine, the 45-year-old sought to reassure those worried about her lack of experience and radical past.