5-star women: the new female mayors of Rome and Turin
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Meet the new face of Rome: 37-year-old Virginia Raggi, the Italian capital’s first female mayor.
New era ... after 20 years of bad politics
A breakthrough for 5-Star anti-establishment movement, Raggi’s victory a blow Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his Democratic Party (PD).
Raggi, who won 67 percent of the vote in the run-off ballot, has hailed the start of a “new era.”
“We will work to restore legality and transparency inside the institutions after 20 years of bad politics and ‘Mafia Capitale’,” she said.
A riveder le Stelle! pic.twitter.com/zHbwg2Xm2Y
— Virginia Raggi (@virginiaraggi) June 19, 2016
The result in Turin, a centre-left stronghold and home of carmaker Fiat, was a also major shock.
The incumbent, Piero Fassino, a veteran party heavyweight, was swept aside by 5-Star candidate Chiara Appendino, 31, who overturned an 11-point gap after the first round to win 55 percent of the vote.
Fatto. Voi? :)
ricordate: si vota entrole ore 23 mettendosolo unaX sulnome#amministrative2016#elezionicomunalipic.twitter.com/qPtf6khyXx
Renzi’s PD held on to power in Italy’s financial capital Milan and in the northern city of Bologna, beating more traditional, centre-right candidates in both places.
Turnout in the local elections was also low, indicating a growing disillusionment with politics in general.
So the challenges are stacking up for Renzi, who wants Italians to back wide-reaching constitutional reforms in a referendum in October.