German politicians expressed concern on Monday after Giorgia Meloni’s victory in Italy’s general election paved the way for her to become the country’s first far-right leader since World War II.

Jürgen Hardt, a lawmaker and foreign policy expert for the conservative CDU – currently in opposition said he was troubled by the “openly post-fascist statements of Meloni” and the hair-raising positions of her fellow Brothers of Italy party members.

“Racism and the exclusion of minorities can no longer have a place in Europe,” Mr Hardt said Monday.

According to him, just hours after, it emerged that Ms Meloni’s right-wing alliance, including Matteo Salvini’s Lega and former premier Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, are likely to have control of both houses of parliament.

“In Germany and Brussels, the new Italian government will be judged on its contribution to the future of Europe, compliance with the sanctions against Russia and progress in rebuilding the Italian economy,” Mr Hardt said.

Mr Hardt said Mr Berlusconi, who is nearly 86, had acted as kingmaker in order to share in power once more.

“One can only hope that at his advanced age, he is able to see the implications of his decisions and keep this government on the right track,” he said.

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff of the pro-business FDP, a junior partner in Germany’s centre-left coalition, expected more difficult decision-making processes at the EU level.

“It is becoming more and more laborious,” Mr Lambsdorff told public broadcaster ARD on Monday, referring to the issues of migration, reform of the Stability and Growth Pact and the internal market.

Omid Nouripour, the co-leader of the Greens, Germany’s other junior coalition partner, described the election results in Italy as worrying.

“It is well known that especially among people within the right-wing nationalist alliance, there are very close ties with the Kremlin,” Nouripour told private broadcaster RTL/ntv,” he stressed. “One cannot exclude the possibility that people in Moscow also popped the corks last night.”

(dpa/NAN)