The centre right is sticking with
former Forza Italia (FI) Senate Whip Paolo Romani as its
candidate for Senate Speaker despite a veto from the
anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), the other big winner
in the March 4 general election, sources said Thursday.
The decision was taken by FI leader Silvio Berlusconi at an
ongoing summit in Rome with anti-migrant Euroskeptic League
leader Matteo Salvini, the centre right's premier candidate, and
the other main ally, rightist nationalist Brothers of Italy
(FdI) leader Giorgia Meloni.
FI heavyweight Romani, 70, is opposed by the M5S because of a
probe into his allegedly illicit use of a municipal cellphone in
the northern city of Monza.
The centre right, which got 37% of the vote on march 4
compared to the M5S's 32%, has enough votes in the Senate to
vote in Romani on its own in the final ballot, political experts
say.
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