ROME - The 'post-fascist' League led by Matteo Salvini surged to a stunning victory in European elections with some 34 per cent of the vote, trouncing its floundering Five Star Movement (M5S) coalition partner that slumped to 17 per cent in a reversal that threw into question the future of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's government, according to projections of partial results Monday.

 Meanwhile, opposition centre-left Democratic Party made a solid comeback to place second with an estimated 22 per cent of the vote while Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party garnered 8.78 per cent, paving the way for Salvini to contemplate breathing life back into the League's historic alliance with the media mogul and ending the uneasy partnership with the M5S, political commentators said.

 Some within the League appeared to threaten their coalition partners following the results. Minister for Families and Disability Lorenzo Fontana said, “If there is a spirit of collaboration for the good of the country, that’s fine. Otherwise, no.“

 Salvini, though, was eager to point out at a press conference at the party headquarters in via Bellerio on Monday morning that the League remained committed to Conte’s government. “I have listened to the Prime Minister. I reaffirm that our loyalty to the agreement and the government has never been in question.”

 He added, though, that there was now a clear mandate for “accelerating autonomy and High-Speed Rail (TAV),” both of which have been points of contention for the coalition partners in recent months. 

 The League did well as expected in the north west of the country, but surprised many by coming first in Riace (with 30.75 per cent) and Lampedusa (47 per cent), places which have been at the forefront of Salvini's fight against migrants and refugees since his election in 2018. During his press conference, Salvini vowed that immigration would be the League’s “first battle” in a new Europe, whose “geography has changed.” Referring to the Riace and Lampedusa triumphs, he added “Clearly the demand for a regulated, qualified and positive immigration system is the will of Italians, not merely [my] whims.”

 As yet, there has been relatively little from M5S, apart from party founder Beppe Grillo who took to Facebook to express his disappointment. "Gregorian chants today," he wrote, alluding to the sombre mood in his party. The M5S garnered significant votes in parts of the south, including Campania where is won 34 per cent, but suffered significantly in the north. Di Maio blamed low voter turnout in the south as one reason why his party had underperformed, but also vowed, “[to give] more attention to the regional districts from now on."

 Berlusconi, meanwhile, insisted on the importance of his party and appeared to suggest the possibility of a new centre-right government. “Forza Italia remain central and crucial for the constitution of a centre-right majority as an alternative to this coalition government,” read a party statement. Berlusconi himself was elected to the European parliament some five years after his fall from grace. The former prime minister is currently under investigation for bribing some 28 witnesses in the trial which overturned his 2010 conviction on charges of sex with a minor and malfeasance in office, when he was sentenced to seven years in prison. The inquiry was put on hold to allow Berlusconi to stand in the elections.

 The election was notable for reversing a trend which has seen falling voter turnout since 1979. The over-50 percent turnout was the highest in over 20 years.

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