Forza Italia gives Berlusconi mandate for Meloni, Salvini talks on Rome candidate

(ANSA) - Rome, April 21 - A meeting of senior members of Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) party on Thursday decided to give the ex-premier a mandate to talk to the leaders of other centre-right parties about the candidate to be Rome's next mayor. FI Lower House whip Renato Brunetta said "the aim is the unity of the centre-right" after the mandate was given for talks with Northern League leader Matteo Salvini and Brothers of Italy (FdI) head Giorgia Meloni, who is among the runners to be Rome mayor. FI bigwigs are reportedly urging Berlusconi to drop his support for the candidacy of former civil protection chief Guido Bertolaso, who is doing badly in the polls ahead of local elections in the capital and many other Italian cities in June.
    Initially Salvini and Meloni had said they would back Bertolaso too.
    But Meloni decided to throw her hat in the ring after Salvini dropped his support for him.