Candidates Swim to Sicily, Give Up Sex in Regional Vote
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Italian voters, weary of funding scandals and austerity, are getting new-look politicians who aim to please by swimming to Sicily and renouncing sex in a regional election that may shape Prime Minister Mario Monti’s future.
The theatrics around Sicily’s Oct. 28 vote showcase the outsiders and establishment forces vying to replace Monti in national polls due by April. Mainland Italians will watch to see if Beppe Grillo, who swam the 2.2 miles to the island of Sicily, can turn his anti-austerity populism into votes. Pier Luigi Bersani, the frontrunner in the national race, is backing an openly gay former mayor who vowed chastity if he wins.