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 7% down on the last such poll in 2016, at 54.64% compared to 61.52%, and Milan, Turin and Naples recorded their lowest-ever turnouts, at 47.6%, 48.06%, and 47.19% respectively.
Turnout in Rome fell to 48.83% compared to 57.03% five years ago.
Rome is Italy's biggest city, followed by Milan, Naples and Turin. Bologna is the seventh biggest, and Trieste the 15th biggest.
PD leader Enrico Letta won a Siena by-election for a safe Lower House seat Monday. His election was greeted by a long round of applause at local PD headquarters in the Tuscan city, long a PD fief.
Nationalist League party leader Matteo Salvini said "the turnout data push me towards self-criticism" while PD organizational chief Francesco Boccia said "we are proud to note that the PD is the first party in Italian cities and probably in the Calabria region (too)".
PD deputy leader Giuseppe Provenzano said "if the results were confirmed we would win in Naples, Bologna and Milan, a result that goes beyond our rosiest expectations".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
