(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 18 - The MEPs for Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party were among those who voted against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen getting a second term at the helm of the EU executive on Thursday.
    The European Parliament re-elected von der Leyen with 401 votes in favour, 284 against and 15 abstentions, with seven spoiled papers, having needed 360.
    It had been uncertain until the vote which way the FdI MEPs would go, although one of them, Nicola Procaccini, had said the Conservative ECR group FdI belongs to, and which Meloni chairs, would give the national delegations within it the freedom to choose how to vote.
    The premier was furious that the ECR was left out of the negotiations for the EU top jobs.
    But there had been speculation Meloni might have gotten her MEPs to vote for von der Leyen and give 'external' support to the new EU executive if she got policy concessions and Italy were given a Commissioner with an influential post.
    Meloni was reportedly looking for the new Commission to adopt a tougher stance on migrants, with special focus given to the Mediterranean, and for changes to the Green Deal, with a more gradual approach to the ecological transition.
    The Commission chief and the Italian premier spoke on the telephone late on Wednesday, sources said.
    Carlo Fidanza, the head of FdI's MEPs, said the right-wing group had voted against von der Leyen getting a second term because she hadn't taken in the message from last month's EU elections.
    "The choices made (by von der Leyen) in recent days, the political guidelines, the search for support on the Left, going as far as the Greens, made our support for the reappointment of President Ursula von der Leyen impossible," said Fidanza. "The strong message of change that came out of the ballot box on June 9 has not been heeded".
    Fidanza added, however, said that he did not think FdI voting against a second term for von der Leyen will lead to Italy's new Commissioner getting a secondary position in the EU executive.
    "This does not affect our institutional working relationship, which we are sure will lead to... an adequate role in the next commission that Italy deserves," he said.
    As expected Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani's Forza Italia (FI), which is part of von der Leyen's European People's Party (EPP) party, voted in favour, while fellow Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini's League voted against.
    Salvini said von der Leyen had been re-elected thanks to "yet another shady deal. "It's another slap in the face with new green taxes, (migrant) landings and war, and it goes against the votes of millions of citizens who demanded a clear change in Brussels," he continued in a social-media post.
    "The League voted NO and, along with the Patriots (the third-biggest group in the European Parliament), will not stand by watching, it will defend the security, jobs and pride of Italians at all costs".
    Tajani, on the other hand, congratulated von der Leyen.
    "Proud of the great team work of the EPP to support your confirmation at the helm of the European Commission", said the foreign minister via X, adding that von der Leyen "can always count" on the support of his Forza Italia party to "build a Europe that is more competitive, safer and that promotes peace".
    Opposition politicians criticised FdI's decision to vote against von der Leyen.
    Former industry minister Carlo Calenda, the leader of the centrist Azione party, said it was "a serious mistake and damaging to Italy.
    "The way the premier handled this was objectively embarrassing," he added.
    "The outcome is the decision to place Italy in an anti-European minority, which increases the isolation of a government that today already has bad relations with the executives of France, Spain and Germany.
    "The problem is always the same: Meloni never manages to put her role as Prime Minister ahead of that of party leader". (ANSA).