Centre-left candidates were poised for
victory in several of the big cities up for grabs in an
important round of local elections in Italy, according to
projections on Monday.
The centre-left was above the 50% threshold in Milan, Bologna
and Naples, meaning they would prevail in these cities without
the need for a run off.
Centre-left Turin mayoral candidate Stefano Lo Russo, meanwhile,
leads centre-right candidate Paolo Damilano by 44.3% to 40.4% in
a RAI projection by Opinio Italia with anti-establishment 5-Star
(M5S) candidate Valentina Sganga and independent Angelo D'Orsi
both polling very low.
In Rome, centre-right Rome mayoral candidate Enrico Michetti was
tied with centre-left rival Roberto Gualtieri in a RAI
projection by the Opinio Italia consortium at 27-31%, with
incumbent anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) candidate
Virginia Raggi on 17.5-21%, and independent centre-left
candidate Carlo Calenda on 16-20%.
The race there looks set to go to a runoff.
In a SWG-La7 projection for Rome, however, Michetti led
Gualtieri by 31.8% to 24.1% with Raggi a fairly close third on
21.1% despite woes with buses spontaneously combusting, rubbish
piling up in the streets, and wild boar poking through it.
Roberto Dipiazza, the centre-right candidate to be Trieste's
mayor, is close to the 50% threshold needed win in the first
round without a runoff, according to a Consorzio Opinio Italia
projection.
The poll gives Dipiazza 46.5% of the vote, followed by the
centre-left candidate Francesco Russo on 29%.
Centre-left incumbent Giuseppe Sala is projected to retain the
Milan mayor's post in a projection for RAI by Opinio Italia with
56% of the vote compared to 33.9% for the centre right's Luca
Bernardo, followed by the 5-Star Movement (M5S)'s Layla Pavone
on 3.9% and independent Gianluigi Paragone on 2.9%.
Gaetano Manfredi, the candidate to be the next mayor of Naples
supported by the centre left and the 5-Star Movement (M5S), is
set to win in the first round without the need for a run-off,
according to an Opinio Italia projection for State broadcaster
RAI.
The poll gives Manfredi 62.4% of the vote, compared to 19.2 for
the centre right's Catello Maresca and 10.9% for former mayor
and former Campania governor Antonio Bassolino.
Centre-left candidate Matteo Lepore, meanwhile, looks set to win
the race to be Bologna's new mayor in the first round after a
Consorzio Opinio projection gave him 62.6% of the vote there,
well above the 50% threshold needed to avert a runoff.
The poll gave centre-right candidate Fabio Battistini 27.6% of
the vote.
The centre right's Roberto Occhiuto appears to be heading to
become Calabria's next governor with 56-60% compared to
24.6-28.6% for the centre left's Amalia Cecilia Bruni in a SWG
projection for broadcaster La7.
Naples Mayor and independent leftist candidate Luigi de
Magistris is third on 11.7-15.7% in the poll.
Opinio Italia's projection for RAI state broadcaster gave
Occhiuto 52.9% compared to 25.6% for Bruni and 19.4% for de
Magistris.
Nationwide turnout in the elections was about 5% down on the
last such poll in 2016 and Milan, Turin and Naples recorded
their lowest-ever turnouts.
Rome is Italy's biggest city, followed by Milan, Naples and
Turin. Bologna is the seventh biggest, and Trieste the 15th
biggest.
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