Rome mayor candidate and former
civil protection chief Guido Bertolaso was scheduled to meet
with Forza Italia (FI) leader Silvio Berlusconi on Wednesday
afternoon to continue talks regarding his candidacy, amid polls
showing Bertolaso lagging far behind Brothers of Italy leader
Georgia Meloni, who has the backing of Matteo Salvini's Northern
League.
On Tuesday, Bertolaso left a meeting with Berlusconi saying
the centre-right former premier had given him his "unconditional
support" as FI's Rome mayoral candidate saying "I am the right
person to lead Rome".
Meloni said she had invited both Berlusconi and Bertolaso
to her official campaign opening to be held Thursday in Rome.
She said that she would speak to Berlusconi on Wednesday
afternoon and emphasized Salvini's support.
"Salvini is an ally with whom I share many choices, and we
are hoping up to the last that the centre-right can widen
itself," Meloni said, referring to the situation surrounding
Bertolaso's candidacy.
"Italy would be ready for a woman premier, to say nothing
of a mayor," Meloni said.
Meanwhile, centre-left candidate Roberto Giachetti of
Matteo Renzi's Democratic Party (PD) on Wednesday said he will
make the run-off.
Giachetti said "I don't know which of the two" - referring
to 5-Star Movement (M5S) candidate Virginia Raggi and Meloni -
he could expect to face in the run-off.
He dismissed polls that show him trailing in third after
Raggi and Meloni.
"Seeing as how over 50% are undecided and the decisions are
made at the end of the electoral campaign, in my opinion they're
unreliable," Giachetti said.
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