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| Five Star candidate takes big lead in Rome's mayoral election | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Italy’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement took a large lead in the first round of voting for the mayor of Rome, according to exit polls published on Sunday, in a possible blow to the prime minister, Matteo Renzi. | Italy’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement took a large lead in the first round of voting for the mayor of Rome, according to exit polls published on Sunday, in a possible blow to the prime minister, Matteo Renzi. |
| Related: Italy goes to the polls in mayoral elections for largest cities | |
| Around 13 million people, or a quarter of the adult population, were eligible to vote for mayors in around 1,300 towns and cities, with attention focused firmly on a handful of major centres, including the capital. | Around 13 million people, or a quarter of the adult population, were eligible to vote for mayors in around 1,300 towns and cities, with attention focused firmly on a handful of major centres, including the capital. |
| Victory in Rome would be a huge breakthrough for Five Star, which was founded in 2009 by comedian Beppe Grillo, and hopes to capitalise on anger over corruption scandals that have embroiled both left and right-wing parties in the city. | Victory in Rome would be a huge breakthrough for Five Star, which was founded in 2009 by comedian Beppe Grillo, and hopes to capitalise on anger over corruption scandals that have embroiled both left and right-wing parties in the city. |
| The Five Star candidate in Rome, Virginia Raggi, was likely to win 33-37% of the vote, according to the EMG pollster, followed by the centre-left’s Roberto Giachetti, who is backed by Renzi and was predicted to win 22-26%. | The Five Star candidate in Rome, Virginia Raggi, was likely to win 33-37% of the vote, according to the EMG pollster, followed by the centre-left’s Roberto Giachetti, who is backed by Renzi and was predicted to win 22-26%. |
| According to the Piepoli Institute, Raggi was likely to win 34-38%, compared with 20-24% for Giachetti. | According to the Piepoli Institute, Raggi was likely to win 34-38%, compared with 20-24% for Giachetti. |
| If, as polls suggest, no one wins more than 50%, run-offs between the top two candidates will be held on 19 June. | If, as polls suggest, no one wins more than 50%, run-offs between the top two candidates will be held on 19 June. |
| A victory for Raggi would make her Rome’s first woman mayor. | A victory for Raggi would make her Rome’s first woman mayor. |
| Related: Corruption gripes help Five Star Movement top Italy local election polls | |
| The race looked closer in Italy’s financial capital, Milan, where EMG had centre-left candidate Giuseppe Sala ahead with 38-42%, followed by the centre-right’s Stefano Parisi with 36.5-40.5%. The Piepoli Institute gave Sala 41-45% and gave 35-39% to Parisi. | |
| Renzi, whose popularity has sagged over the last year, has distanced himself from the mayoral elections, arguing that they reflected local issues and would have no repercussions for his coalition government. | Renzi, whose popularity has sagged over the last year, has distanced himself from the mayoral elections, arguing that they reflected local issues and would have no repercussions for his coalition government. |
| Instead he has tried to focus attention on a referendum in October on an overhaul of the constitution, saying he will resign if Italians reject his plan to reduce the powers of the senate and streamline lawmaking procedures in parliament. | |
| Exit polls have often proved unreliable in Italy. Early projections based on the actual vote count are expected in the coming hours. | Exit polls have often proved unreliable in Italy. Early projections based on the actual vote count are expected in the coming hours. |
| In the other main cities, exit polls suggested that in Turin the incumbent mayor Piero Fassino, of Renzi’s PD party, was ahead, but by less than had been expected, and was likely to face a tough race in the run-off against a Five Star candidate. | In the other main cities, exit polls suggested that in Turin the incumbent mayor Piero Fassino, of Renzi’s PD party, was ahead, but by less than had been expected, and was likely to face a tough race in the run-off against a Five Star candidate. |
| Naples looked set to be held by leftist incumbent Luigi de Magistris, an independent former prosecutor who has declared the city a “Renzi-free zone”. A runoff is projected against the centre-right candidate who was seen in second place. |