Economics
Berlusconi’s Northern League Alliance Shows Cracks in Vote
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Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s alliance with his key Northern League ally suffered a setback after losses in Italian local voting, raising the chances of an early national election.
Milan Mayor Letizia Moratti, Berlusconi’s candidate, trailed rival Giuliano Pisapia 41.6 percent to 48 percent in the race to control city hall in the premier’s hometown, preliminary results showed. The two will face a runoff May 29-30. Piero Fassino, of the opposition Democratic Party, was poised to win the mayoral seat in Turin, a manufacturing center that is home to Fiat SpA, while the opposition also won in Bologna. The ruling bloc failed to avoid a runoff in Naples.