Berlusconi Stages Comeback in Italy's Mayoral Elections
- Candidates backed by Renzi’s PD defeated in many strongholds
- National election due in 2018 as ballot reform plans stall
Forza Italia supporters take part in a rally in Rome on June 22.
Photographer: Giuseppe Ciccia/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The second and final round of municipal elections in Italy on Sunday showed a resurgence in support for 80-year-old former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party and its center-right allies.
Berlusconi-backed candidates won runoffs in mayoral races across the country including Genoa and Verona, while an independent candidate was ahead in Parma, marking a significant setback for Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni’s ruling Democratic Party, or PD, which is led by his predecessor Matteo Renzi.