Berlusconi looks set for election setback

[demoleft]

Source: ansa

(ANSA) - Milan, May 16 - Premier Silvio Berlusconi appeared set for a surprising setback in local elections Monday as his candidate for his home city Milan lagged an upstart leftist in exit polls and early projections.

Letizia Moratti, the incumbent Milan mayor of the premier's People of Freedom (Pdl) party, was 4-5 points behind the ex-Communist candidate of the largest opposition group, the Democratic Party, (PD).

Although Pisapia appeared unlikely to reach the 50% mark needed to win in the first round, pundits were taken aback he was ahead at all.

Read more: http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/english/2011/05/16/visualizza_new.html_869008814.html

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the italian PM had turned elections in milano to a personal/national test.
the first data look like milano gave a round answer.

rumors collected by the director of center-right newspaper Libero, and expressed live on a tv, suggest that maybe voters from the Lega Nord did not support rightist candidate moratti.
but it's too early for analysis, and not enough figures.

another news that gives you the idea of the importance of elections in milano:
"Berlusconi turns local elections into confidence vote"
http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/english/2011/05/13/visualizza_new.html_870027349.html

"(ANSA) - Rome, May 13 - Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi has turned local elections across Italy Sunday and Monday into a confidence vote on his three-year-old government amid a string of sex and corruption cases against him, pundits say."

centre-left candidate is likely to win in torino and might make it in just one turn in bologna.

[AndyTiedye]

1. They Don't Love You Anymore, Silvio

:nopity:

[47of74]

2. Italy has a special place in my heart

So I am so glad to hear that the horrible and disgusting Silvio Berlusconi isn't getting his way.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

3. Once again, my hometown Bologna remains true

they don't call it the learned, the fat and the red for nothing.

For those who don't know, Bologna is known as "la dotta, la grassa e la rossa."

The learned: for its university, the oldest in the world, established in 1088 officially, but perhaps a bit older, famous for its medicine and law departments for a long time.

The fat: Bologna is considered to be the gastronomic center of Italy with its famous cuisine such as ragu` (not that crap bought in stores), tagliatelle, tortellini, mortadella, etc. Very rich cuisine based on the local meats (especially pork) and milk (butter and cheese such as Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano).

The red: Bologna has kilometers of porticos, originally built to protect its citizens from the brutally cold winters and brutally hot summers, most of which were originally clad in red brick. Another version of 'the red' is that Bologna has traditionally had a very anti-establishment reputation throughout its history and, most recently, it has almost always (with one notable short exception) been governed by left-of-center mayors and councils. It was also Italy's first and one of Europe's first cities to have a GLBT organization, ArciGay, which is now throughout Italy.