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| Virginia Raggi of Five Star Movement Sweeps Election for Rome’s Mayor | Virginia Raggi of Five Star Movement Sweeps Election for Rome’s Mayor |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| ROME — Angry voters have swept anti-establishment candidates to power in Rome and Turin, dealing a severe blow to Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s political standing — and highlighting his vulnerability as he moves forward with a plan to revise Italy’s Constitution. | ROME — Angry voters have swept anti-establishment candidates to power in Rome and Turin, dealing a severe blow to Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s political standing — and highlighting his vulnerability as he moves forward with a plan to revise Italy’s Constitution. |
| Mr. Renzi became prime minister two years ago pledging to change Italy’s sclerotic political system, but judging by the results from Sunday, voters have become tired of waiting. | Mr. Renzi became prime minister two years ago pledging to change Italy’s sclerotic political system, but judging by the results from Sunday, voters have become tired of waiting. |
| Channeling fury over corruption scandals and ineptitude, Virginia Raggi of the Five Star Movement, a party co-founded by the comedian Beppe Grillo, crushed her opponent from Mr. Renzi’s governing Democratic Party to become the first female mayor of Rome. | Channeling fury over corruption scandals and ineptitude, Virginia Raggi of the Five Star Movement, a party co-founded by the comedian Beppe Grillo, crushed her opponent from Mr. Renzi’s governing Democratic Party to become the first female mayor of Rome. |
| “A new era begins with us,” Ms. Raggi, a 37-year-old lawyer, told reporters early Monday, as polls showed her winning by a ratio of two to one. “I will work to bring legality and transparency.” | “A new era begins with us,” Ms. Raggi, a 37-year-old lawyer, told reporters early Monday, as polls showed her winning by a ratio of two to one. “I will work to bring legality and transparency.” |
| The victory by Ms. Raggi, who won more than a third of the vote in the first round on June 6, had been expected. But in a more surprising outcome among runoff elections across dozens of Italian cities on Sunday, another Five Star candidate, Chiara Appendino, won in Turin, also defeating a candidate from the Democratic Party. | The victory by Ms. Raggi, who won more than a third of the vote in the first round on June 6, had been expected. But in a more surprising outcome among runoff elections across dozens of Italian cities on Sunday, another Five Star candidate, Chiara Appendino, won in Turin, also defeating a candidate from the Democratic Party. |
| Mr. Renzi said on Monday that the outcomes reflected local concerns and played down the national ramifications, but party leaders plan to gather on Friday to discuss them. | Mr. Renzi said on Monday that the outcomes reflected local concerns and played down the national ramifications, but party leaders plan to gather on Friday to discuss them. |
| “I don’t believe this was a protest vote,” Mr. Renzi told reporters, while acknowledging that “it’s a vote of change.” He added, “Those who won were able to better interpret the need for change.” | “I don’t believe this was a protest vote,” Mr. Renzi told reporters, while acknowledging that “it’s a vote of change.” He added, “Those who won were able to better interpret the need for change.” |
| The party noted a “clear and strong victory” over right-wing candidates in Milan, the financial capital of Italy, and in Bologna, a traditionally left-leaning city. | The party noted a “clear and strong victory” over right-wing candidates in Milan, the financial capital of Italy, and in Bologna, a traditionally left-leaning city. |
| Mr. Renzi has been focusing on a constitutional referendum that will be held in October, on measures that are intended to streamline the legislative process and stabilize Italy’s unwieldy electoral system. It is Mr. Renzi’s most crucial political battle — one on which he has staked his political career, vowing to step aside should he lose. | Mr. Renzi has been focusing on a constitutional referendum that will be held in October, on measures that are intended to streamline the legislative process and stabilize Italy’s unwieldy electoral system. It is Mr. Renzi’s most crucial political battle — one on which he has staked his political career, vowing to step aside should he lose. |
| The upsets in Rome and Turin — as well as Five Star Movement victories in runoff races in 17 smaller towns — suggested that change-hungry voters were turning to relatively young and inexperienced candidates, whose very distance from Italy’s established political class is what made them attractive. | The upsets in Rome and Turin — as well as Five Star Movement victories in runoff races in 17 smaller towns — suggested that change-hungry voters were turning to relatively young and inexperienced candidates, whose very distance from Italy’s established political class is what made them attractive. |
| One Roman, Laura Bertelli, said she had voted for Ms. Raggi to protest incompetence that had degraded a city where graffiti now appears on hundreds of buildings, a sign of neglect. | One Roman, Laura Bertelli, said she had voted for Ms. Raggi to protest incompetence that had degraded a city where graffiti now appears on hundreds of buildings, a sign of neglect. |
| “I hope that a young woman can bring Rome back to its old splendor,” said Ms. Bertelli, a consultant who analyzes health conditions in restaurants and who said she was impressed by the Five Star Movement’s “can-do attitude and its emphasis on honesty.” | “I hope that a young woman can bring Rome back to its old splendor,” said Ms. Bertelli, a consultant who analyzes health conditions in restaurants and who said she was impressed by the Five Star Movement’s “can-do attitude and its emphasis on honesty.” |
| In Turin, voters ousted the incumbent, Piero Fassino, amid frustration that he had failed to bolster the city’s economic fortunes and to better integrate a socially disparate population. | In Turin, voters ousted the incumbent, Piero Fassino, amid frustration that he had failed to bolster the city’s economic fortunes and to better integrate a socially disparate population. |
| “We have the possibility to build a new urban community, but above all the duty to reconnect a city that is deeply wounded,” said the winner, Ms. Appendino, 32. “We are all Turin.” | “We have the possibility to build a new urban community, but above all the duty to reconnect a city that is deeply wounded,” said the winner, Ms. Appendino, 32. “We are all Turin.” |
| Roberto D’Alimonte, the director of the political science department at Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome, called the municipal elections a crucial barometer of the public mood. “These could be viewed as a sort of midterm elections, where electors sent a strong message,” he said. “It’s true that local factors counted, but there is a nationwide climate that produced these results.” | Roberto D’Alimonte, the director of the political science department at Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome, called the municipal elections a crucial barometer of the public mood. “These could be viewed as a sort of midterm elections, where electors sent a strong message,” he said. “It’s true that local factors counted, but there is a nationwide climate that produced these results.” |
| He noted that the Democrats had lost not only to the upstart Five Star Movement, but also to center-right parties in a number of cities, like Trieste, in the northeast; Grosseto, in Tuscany; and Olbia, on the island of Sardinia. | He noted that the Democrats had lost not only to the upstart Five Star Movement, but also to center-right parties in a number of cities, like Trieste, in the northeast; Grosseto, in Tuscany; and Olbia, on the island of Sardinia. |
| Another candidate with the Five Star Movement, Paola Massidda, won Carbonia, on Sardinia, in an area with one of Italy’s lowest employment rates. | Another candidate with the Five Star Movement, Paola Massidda, won Carbonia, on Sardinia, in an area with one of Italy’s lowest employment rates. |
| Although Five Star mayors already govern two large cities, Parma and Livorno, the victories on Sunday night give the movement its most prominent national spotlight yet — particularly in Rome, where Ms. Raggi’s performance will be watched as a litmus test for national governance. | Although Five Star mayors already govern two large cities, Parma and Livorno, the victories on Sunday night give the movement its most prominent national spotlight yet — particularly in Rome, where Ms. Raggi’s performance will be watched as a litmus test for national governance. |
| The movement’s president and co-founder, Mr. Grillo, propelled it from a grass-roots grouping of citizens incensed by Italy’s corrupt and inefficient political class to a major political voice that took a quarter of the national vote in the 2013 elections. But he has stepped aside recently, even removing his name from the party’s logo. | |
| Even so, he was in Rome on Sunday, reveling in the movement’s victory. He appeared at the window of a hotel in central Rome as results showed a Five Star gain, and he raised his hands in victory, as supporters cheered wildly. “And it’s only the beginning,” his widely read blog promised. | |
| Some analysts called Monday’s results a considerable setback for the Democratic Party’s politics and politicians, despite the fact that, under the leadership of Mr. Renzi, the Democrats had also pledged to replace Italy’s old political guard with new faces and ideas. | Some analysts called Monday’s results a considerable setback for the Democratic Party’s politics and politicians, despite the fact that, under the leadership of Mr. Renzi, the Democrats had also pledged to replace Italy’s old political guard with new faces and ideas. |
| “For the first time in history, the rage of Rome and Turin citizens manifested itself through the rejection of anyone who had a consolidated political or managerial experience,” Massimo Gramellini, an editorialist at the Turin-based newspaper La Stampa, wrote in a front-page commentary. | “For the first time in history, the rage of Rome and Turin citizens manifested itself through the rejection of anyone who had a consolidated political or managerial experience,” Massimo Gramellini, an editorialist at the Turin-based newspaper La Stampa, wrote in a front-page commentary. |
| “The revolt begins in the belly, so it doesn’t make exceptions or differences,” Mr. Gramellini added, writing that voters had deemed the inexperience of the Five Star candidates a plus. | “The revolt begins in the belly, so it doesn’t make exceptions or differences,” Mr. Gramellini added, writing that voters had deemed the inexperience of the Five Star candidates a plus. |
| Ms. Raggi, in particular, will face an uphill path. Rome has a debt of 13 billion euros, about $14.7 billion — perhaps much higher — and some surveys suggest that about a quarter of its roughly 23,000 employees do not show up for work on a daily basis. Public transportation and waste removal services are dysfunctional, as the piles of garbage on Rome’s streets attest. | Ms. Raggi, in particular, will face an uphill path. Rome has a debt of 13 billion euros, about $14.7 billion — perhaps much higher — and some surveys suggest that about a quarter of its roughly 23,000 employees do not show up for work on a daily basis. Public transportation and waste removal services are dysfunctional, as the piles of garbage on Rome’s streets attest. |
| Mr. Renzi became prime minister in 2014, after an internal party coup ousted Prime Minister Enrico Letta. Since he took office, Mr. Renzi has made some important changes — legislation to ease hiring and firing, overhauls to education and to the country’s bloated public sector, which have yet to be fully put in effect — but they have fallen short of ending a longstanding economic crisis. Unemployment hovers around 11 percent. | Mr. Renzi became prime minister in 2014, after an internal party coup ousted Prime Minister Enrico Letta. Since he took office, Mr. Renzi has made some important changes — legislation to ease hiring and firing, overhauls to education and to the country’s bloated public sector, which have yet to be fully put in effect — but they have fallen short of ending a longstanding economic crisis. Unemployment hovers around 11 percent. |
| Mr. Renzi, Mr. D’Alimonte said, “has to change strategy with the party, because it’s clear that the current party leadership isn’t working, also his style of government, his communication, isn’t working.” | Mr. Renzi, Mr. D’Alimonte said, “has to change strategy with the party, because it’s clear that the current party leadership isn’t working, also his style of government, his communication, isn’t working.” |