Giorgia Meloni will enjoy taking revenge on Macron

The German government has expressed its ‘concern’ at the prospect of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally forming the next government of France. Poland’s PM Donald Tusk – the man who said Brexiteers deserved ‘a special place in hell’ – responded to the result by saying ‘this is all really starting to smell very dangerous’.

Not in Italy, where the odour wafting down from France after the first round of the parliamentary election was rather to the liking of Giorgia Meloni. ‘I congratulate the Rassemblement National and its allies for the clear success,’  she said.

As in Italy, she noted, French voters had been bullied and harassed by a cultural and media elite who ‘attempt to demonise and corner the people who don’t vote for the left’.

That this campaign of intimidation had failed was a cause for celebration. ‘It’s a trick that serves to escape from the debate on the merits of the different political proposals,’ explained Meloni.