The populist League party of Interior Minister Matteo Salvini won the most votes in Sunday’s European elections with 27-31 percent, according to exit polls.

Its coalition partner the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) was beaten by the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) which came second with 21-25 percent, exit polls showed after voting ended at 2100 GMT.

Luigi Di Maio’s M5S garnered between 18.5-22.5 percent of votes, while tycoon and former premier Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia scored 8-12 percent.