Italy's main centre-left group, the Democratic Party (PD), conceded defeat early Monday in a national election and said it would be the largest opposition force in the next parliament.
"This is a sad evening for the country," Debora Serracchiani, a senior PD lawmaker, told reporters in the party's first official comment on the result. "(The right) has the majority in parliament, but not in the country."
Provisional results showed that a right-wing alliance led by Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party had won around 43% of the vote and was on course for a clear majority in parliament.
(Reporting by Gavin Jones; Editing by Crispian Balmer)
