"Finally!" Brothers of Italy militants in tears after victory

Leader of Brothers of Italy Giorgia Meloni waves at the party's election night headquarters, in Rome, Italy September 26, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

ROME (Reuters) - At 2:30 a.m. came the moment that militants of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party had been waiting for, when their leader Giorgia Meloni appeared at the luxury hotel in Rome housing her electoral headquarters.

A roar went up as Meloni began to speak, recalling the sacrifices made over the years as the party rose from being a marginal far-right group to become Italy's strongest political force at Sunday's election.