Italy on Sunday is holding an important round of local elections.
The councils of 978 towns and cities, including 26 provincial capitals, will be elected this weekend.
Of these, 16 are currently run by centre-right administrations, four by the centre left, two by independent ‘civic lists’ and four are in the hands of commissioners appointed by central government.
The elections are, among other things, an important gauge of voter sentiment ahead of next year’s general election.
Furthermore, citizens throughout the nation will be called on to vote on five referenda regarding justice issues.
After recent tension between the rivals for the leadership of the centre right, League leader Matteo Salvini and Brothers of Italy (FdI) chief Giorgio Meloni held a truce and appeared together on the stage of a rally in Verona on Thursday.
On Thursday Salvini conceded that the leader of the party that gets most votes in the general election should be premier if the centre-right coalition wins.
Meloni’s right-wing FdI, which, unlike all the other major parties, does not support Premier Mario Draghi’s government of national unity, is currently top of the opinion polls.
Photo – EPA-EFE/CIRO FUSCO
Read more via ANSA
