Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Monday congratulated Marine Le Pen's right-wing National Rally (RN) for its "clear" success in the first round of French elections, noting this also stemmed from it having allies on the right for the first time in French political history.
The RN won 33% to a leftwing alliance's 28% and President Emmanuel Macron's centrist group's 21%, according to final results.
"I congratulate the Rassemblement National and its allies for the clear success," said Meloni, head of Italy's most right-wing government since World War II.
"As for the runoff, I always treat the political and electoral dynamics of other nations with respect.
"Of course, we are facing a very polarized scenario where I obviously prefer the right," she added.
Meloni also stressed that "in France, too, the barriers between the alternative forces to the left have been overcome. "For the first time Le Pen's party had allies already from the first round and it seems to me that even the Républicains are oriented towards not participating in the so-called Republican Front."
