"History was written today." That was the triumphant call of Giorgia Meloni after an election on Sunday swept her to power in Italy.

Meloni is no ordinary candidate. She is leader of the Brothers of ItalyA right-wing populist party that split off from the mainstream conservative party The People of Freedom in 2012., a far-right movement.¹ She has praised Benito MussoliniThe fascist dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943. , the world's first fascistFollowing fascism, a set of ideologies that advocates dictatorial power, political violence, suppression of opposition, traditional gender roles, and official racism. leader who ruled Italy from the 1920s to the 1940s.

The result was received with glee by other far-right politicians across Europe. For everyone else, it was a moment of dread.

This is the first time one of the European UnionA political and economic union of 27 countries.'s founder members, and one of its most important economies, has elected a far-right government. 

Now some fear they could take advantage of the economic chaos caused by the energy crisis to stir up people's fears and win power everywhere.

Although some call this the "return" of the far right, in truth it never really went away. Until the 1970s, fascist governments ruled in Greece and Spain. In the 1990s the Italian government was part-fascist.

Nonetheless, until recently the mood was optimistic. Many were confident that fascist movements would disappear in the 21st Century.

Instead, the opposite has happened. The far right has become a major force in European politics. They form the second-largest party in France and Sweden, and the third-largest in Spain.

So does the future belong to the far right? Not necessarily. There is still little appetite for their policies in Europe. The most successful far-right parties have won by presenting a moderate face to the world.

This has made some purists angry. Many have split off from their parties in protest, weakening the far right overall.

Now that she has won power, Meloni will also have to prove she can solve Italy's economic problems. If she cannot, she may quickly lose power.

Yes: The far right has been hoping to take power in a country as important as Italy for years. Now it will be emboldened across the whole continent. This is only the beginning of a far-right wave.

No: Extreme right-wing parties have only been able to win elections by jettisoningAbandon something that is no longer needed. their most controversial policies. Even then, very few have managed to come to power.

Or... Far-right parties have had mixed electoral results. Even in Italy, the far right is only one party in a coalition. It is too early to say whether this is their high tide point, or if they can keep developing further.

Brothers of Italy - A right-wing populist party that split off from the mainstream conservative party The People of Freedom in 2012.

Benito Mussolini - The fascist dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943.

Fascist - Following fascism, a set of ideologies that advocates dictatorial power, political violence, suppression of opposition, traditional gender roles, and official racism.

European Union - A political and economic union of 27 countries.

Jettisoning - Abandon something that is no longer needed.