"I accepted when I was asked to extend my mandate as chairwoman of the Conservatives [European Reformists and Conservatives Party], but now that the elections have taken place, I believe I have fulfilled my task and therefore I want to announce that I am going to step down as president of the European Conservatives," Meloni said, speaking at the congress of her party, the Brothers of Italy.
The Brothers are the largest party in the Conservatives group in the European Parliament, with 24 members.
According to Meloni, the ECR deserves to have a chairwoman who is dedicated to the party on a permanent basis. She added that the party would open a "nomination of candidates" for the chairperson, and suggested that former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki would be among them.
Earlier, Morawiecki confirmed his intention to lead the ECR Party.
"If we are talking about the European Conservatives and Reformists party, then this could happen. But we will wait a little longer, because no formalities have been, so to speak, signed yet," Morawiecki told Radio Wnet.
Meloni has been heading the ECR since 2020.