Italians were voting on Sunday in an election that could move the country’s politics sharply toward the right during a critical time for Europe, with war in Ukraine fuelling skyrocketing energy bills and testing the West’s resolve to stand united against Russian aggression.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. local time and by noon turnout was equal to or slightly less than at the same time during Italy’s last general election in 2018. The counting of paper ballots was expected to begin shortly after they close at 11 p.m., with projections based on partial results coming early Monday morning.

Before publication of opinion polls were