Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition was poised to win decisive electoral victories in the Rome and Milan regions, in the alliance’s first test since taking power in October.
(Bloomberg) — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition was poised to win decisive electoral victories in the Rome and Milan regions, in the alliance’s first test since taking power in October.
The three parties in the coalition – Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, the League and Forza Italia – were credited with around 50% of the vote in both the Lombardy and Lazio regions, according to early exit polls conducted by Consorzio Opinio and published Monday by Rai.
The estimates highlight the precarious position of Italy’s opposition parties, which have struggled to impact the government agenda since the last general election. The future of the center-left Democratic Party — which would win just over 30% of the vote in Lazio, and between 33% and 37% in Lombardy, according to the exit polls — is particularly at stake since it’s traditionally been the second-biggest party.
Lombardy Results
League member Attilio Fontana was seen winning the governor election in Lombardy, according to the polls, Italy’s biggest and wealthiest region. He was first elected to the role in 2018 with 50% of votes.
Fontana has pledged to continue to keep tax rates frozen and to promote autonomy for the region. Letizia Moratti, a former mayor of Milan and until recently Fontana’s deputy, was seen winning 9.5% to 13.5% of the vote after she decided to run with a centrist alliance backed by ex-premier Matteo Renzi and ex-minister Carlo Calenda.
In the Lazio region of Rome, the right-wing candidate Francesco Rocca was poised to win against Alessio D’Amato of the Democratic Party. Rocca, who is backed by the coalition, is a former head of the Italian Red Cross, who like D’Amato mostly held roles in the health sector. He was convicted of heroin trafficking when he was 19, an episode that he says sparked his interest in politics.
The exit polls show Meloni in control of 14 out of 20 regions, one of the highest numbers in Italy’s recent history, according to data compiled by YouTrend. Overall, turnout was at a record low.
(Updates with estimates, details from third paragraph)
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