Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Sunday she will be a candidate at June's European elections in a bid to boost support for her Brothers of Italy party, though she will not take up a seat if elected.

The June 6-9 European Parliament vote is a key test of strength for her 18-month-old rightist coalition.

"We want to do in Europe what we did in Italy... create a majority that brings together the center-right forces and send the left into opposition," Meloni told cheering party faithful at a party conference in the coastal city of Pescara to set out EU policies and launch the campaign.

Meloni, whose party traces its roots to Benito Mussolini's Fascist group, called for Italy to leave the euro zone when in opposition and her 2022 election raised concerns in some European capitals. However, she has followed a broadly pro-European, orthodox line in office, particularly on foreign policy matters such as Ukraine and the Middle East.