Conservative populist Giorgia Meloni set to become Italy’s first female prime minister

A bloc of conservative parties in Italy, which includes the conservative populist Brothers of Italy party led by Giorgia Meloni, has won 41% to 45% of the vote, according to exit polls in the country's balloting Sunday for who will lead the country.

The votes are enough the give the bloc control of both houses of parliament and make Meloni the country's next prime minister, the exit polls show early Monday.

Meloni is also set to become the country's first right wing prime minister since WWII and the country's first female prime minister.

Exit polls also project Meloni to win with 22-26% of the vote, beating her closest rival, former Prime Minister Enrico Letta of the center-left Democratic Party, reported BBC.

Voter turnout was relatively low, with only 64.7% of the registered voters casting ballots before polls closed, according to the Post Millennial.com.

The Brothers of Italy party has seen a meteoric rise in popularity since 2018, when it received just 4% of the vote, Reuters reported.  

Meloni, who has been in the Italian Chamber of Deputies since 2006, has been the star of her country's conservative movement.