A centre-right bloc made up of
Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI), the anti-migrant Northern
League (LN) and the rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party was
the big winner of local-election run-offs in many Italian towns
and cities on Sunday.
The centre right won most of the contests in the 22
provincial capitals, with the centre-left losing strongholds
such as Genoa and Pistoia.
The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) was absent from
most run-offs after performing badly in the first round.
Federico Pizzarotti, a former M5S member, was re-elected
mayor of Parma.
The centre-left defeats led to criticism of ex-premier Matteo
Renzi. leader of the ruling Democratic Party.
"Things could have gone better but general elections are a
different story," Renzi said. LN leader Matteo Salvini said the
lesson was that there should be "no more votes that save the
government" of the PD Premier Paolo Gentiloni.
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