Giorgia Meloni, who will become Italy’s first female prime minister, says she wants to “enhance what unites” people in the country rather than what divides them, after her alliance won parliamentary elections at the weekend.

“The Italians have entrusted us with an important task. Now it is our job to not let them down and do our utmost to restore dignity and pride to the nation,” she wrote on Twitter.

Ms Meloni will lead a conservative coalition into power as her alliance secured an absolute majority of seats in both houses of parliament, the Ministry of Interior confirmed on Monday.

According to the figures, Ms Meloni’s Brothers of Italy and its partners – the populist Lega and the conservative Forza Italia – have taken 112 of 200 seats in the Senate and 235 of the 400 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.

“Today we made history,” Ms Meloni tweeted earlier.

She will become the first female prime minister in Italian history once the alliance agrees on a governing coalition and receives the mandate to govern from President Sergio Mattarella.

Coalition negotiations can begin only once the new parliament has started work in mid-October.

The progressive bloc led by the Social Democrats, the Five Star Movement and The Alliance of the Centre were unable to stop their opponents, which went into Sunday’s election with more momentum.

“Meloni takes Italy,” read Monday’s banner headline on the daily La Repubblica.

Ms Meloni spoke of a “night of pride” and basked in congratulations from conservative colleagues across Europe including French nationalist Marine Le Pen, the leadership of Germany’s anti-immigration AfD party and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

A government with the 45-year-old at the helm is expected to take action against Mediterranean migrants as well as fight against and renegotiate the conditions of the COVID reconstruction fund in Brussels.

On the campaign trail, Ms Meloni also promised tax cuts.

The head of Italy’s Social Democrats (PD), Enrico Letta, on Monday said he would resign following his party’s loss.

The former prime minister said he would not stand as a candidate for the post of general secretary at the PD’s next congress.

Mr Letta spoke of “a sad day for Italy” and said it was the task of a new generation to form a strong opposition.