Boost for Prodi in local polls

Prime Minister Romano Prodi's centre-left coalition scored some big wins in Italy's local polls, comfortably passing its first test at the ballot box since its narrow victory in last month's general election.

In four big cities where mayoral elections were held, the centre-left easily kept control of Rome, Turin and Naples, final results showed yesterday.

In Milan, a centre-right stronghold, Silvio Berlusconi's candidate won but by a smaller margin than expected.

"It has gone very well," Mr Prodi told reporters late on Monday. "Apart from Milan... the other cities, the most important ones, are in our hands," he said.

The results are a boost for Mr Prodi, who needed a good showing in the local polls to counter claims by Mr Berlusconi that his knife-edge victory last month was the result of irregularities during the vote.

They could also strengthen Mr Prodi's hand as he tackles deteriorating public finances that could trigger a downgrade of Italy's debt rating unless he can push through unpopular reforms with his razor-thin parliamentary majority.

The polls were certain to have disappointed Mr Berlusconi, who had hoped for a swift comeback after losing power in the closest election in Italy's post-war history.

"The failed revenge," was the headline of a front-page editorial in left-leaning La Repubblica yesterday.

The two-day vote across more than 1,260 cities and towns ended on Monday afternoon. Results trickled through the night.

Mr Prodi's bloc increased its share of the vote in all the large cities compared with the last mayoral elections five years ago. It also won five of the eight provinces up for grabs.

In Rome, incumbent mayor Walter Veltroni took 61.4 per cent of the vote, up from 58.2 per cent in 2001 and nearly 25 percentage points more than the centre-right candidate.

In the financial capital Milan, Mr Berlusconi's political home turf, the centre right struggled more than expected and only narrowly avoided a run-off.

Former Education Minister Letizia Moratti won some 52 per cent of the vote. Her predecessor had won with 57.5 per cent in 2001.

In Turin and in Naples, the centre-left incumbents grabbed 66.6 per cent and 57.1 per cent of the vote respectively.

"If Berlusconi's idea was revenge, what he got was another taste of defeat," said Deputy Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema.

Analysts said lower voter turnout penalised Mr Berlusconi, whose centre-right tends to have more trouble getting its supporters to polls.

Only 71.2 per cent of voters cast ballots, compared with 80.6 per cent in the last mayoral election.

Mr Berlusconi had some good news from Sicily, where centre-right governor Salvatore Cuffaro was re-elected, as expected, against Rita Borsellino, the sister of a slain anti-Mafia magistrate.