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Draghi is biggest winner in Italy’s local polls

Draghi is biggest winner in Italy’s local polls
October 5, 2021 Reuters

MILAN (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has emerged stronger from the country’s local elections.

Centre-left candidates reaped big wins in the large cities of Milan, Naples and Bologna on Sunday and Monday. Meanwhile Matteo Salvini’s rightist League had a poor showing, coming behind the hard-right Brothers of Italy party in several municipalities.

Salvini’s electoral humiliation reduces the chances that he will break away from the ruling coalition and call for early elections. This is a boon for Draghi, the former European Central Bank president whose government is currently propped up by a broad group of right and left parties. He now has a better chance of staying in place until the end of the legislature in March 2023.

It’s also a positive for Italy: Draghi is pushing through key reforms to improve the country’s judicial system and public administration . He is also overseeing projects linked to some 200 billion euros of European Union post-pandemic funds. By staying longer at the helm, he has more time to revamp Italy.