Eurosceptic party makes big leap in Italy elections

Mayoral runoffs held in Italy on Sunday sent a severe blow to Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, as anti- establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) won in the key cities of Rome and Turin against the ruling Democratic Party (PD), official data showed on Monday.

M5S candidate Virginia Raggi won 67.15 percent of the vote in the Italian capital, while the center-left PD's Roberto Giachetti took 32.85 percent, according to the final results.

Raggi, a 37-year-old lawyer, served as M5S city councilor for three years after joining the movement in 2011. She is the first woman ever to be elected as Rome mayor.

Anti-establishment, eurosceptic Five Star Movement capitalized on the wide discontent Roman citizens showed over a recent mafia-related corruption scandal, and lasting inefficiencies in the city's public services. "This is an historic moment," Raggi told a press conference early on Monday.

"I am ready to govern, and we will work to bring back legality and transparency into the (local) institutions, after 20 years of mismanagement." Her center-left rival acknowledged defeat shortly after polls were closed.

"We were aware it would be a tough race since the beginning," Giachetti admitted to supporters and media gathered at the PD headquarters.

Indeed, the loss of Rome marked a serious setback for Renzi's PD, and a big leap for the M5S as major opposition force at national level.

Furthermore, the upsurge of the anti-establishment movement in this local vote came only four months ahead of a crucial referendum on a constitutional reform in October, on which Renzi has put his role as prime minister, and his political career, at stake.

The M5S also registered a surprising victory in the northern city of Turin, traditionally a center-left stronghold, and again with a female candidate.

Chiara Appendino was elected with 54.56 percent against PD's incumbent mayor Piero Fassino with 45.44 percent, overturning a gap of 11 percentage points registered in the first round of vote held on June 5.

A reassuring message for the Democratic Party came from Milan, which is Italy's economic and financial capital. PD candidate, and chief of 2015 Milan Expo, Giuseppe Sala was elected with 51.7 percent of the vote, while center-right Stefano Parisi took 48.3 percent.

The mayoral race in Milan was much more uncertain compared to Rome, since the two contenders had ended very close to each other after the first round of voting. "I have a feeling of great happiness, and an even greater sense of responsibility," Sala said.

"I am already thinking of all the things we have said during the campaign, and all the efforts we will have to do in order to fulfill every single promise we made and make Milan even more beautiful," Sala added.

In Bologna, another leftist stronghold, PD candidate and incumbent mayor Virginio Merola scored a comfortable victory against a rival from anti-immigration Northern League party.

In Naples, Italy's third largest city, leftist Luigi De Magistris was confirmed as mayor with over 66 percent of the vote against a center-right rival, as the PD failed to make a run-off ballot.

Overall, runoffs of the local elections were held in 126 municipalities where none of the candidate had been able to exceed 50 percent in the first round of voting.

Some 8.6 million Italians were eligible to vote on Sunday. The final turnout was 50.52 percent, marking a 9.4 percent decrease from the first round, according to data from the Interior Ministry.

(APD)