Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her right-wing alliance gained another regional win on Monday, securing a tight victory in Liguria, a region in northwest Italy, based on near-final results.
With most votes counted, conservative candidate Marco Bucci, Genoa’s mayor, led with about 48.6%, narrowly beating his center-left competitor, Andrea Orlando, who received 47.5%. Meloni celebrated this victory on X, congratulating Bucci, Reuters reports.
This victory strengthens Meloni’s standing mid-term, as she approaches her two-year anniversary in office with solid support in national polls.
This win in Liguria is part of a string of regional successes for her coalition, with more local elections coming up next month.
Reuters points out that Meloni’s coalition now controls 14 out of Italy’s 20 regions, building momentum across the country despite some challenges.
Liguria’s vote came after conservative regional leader Giovanni Toti resigned in July due to corruption charges. Although Toti settled the charges without admitting guilt, his departure set the stage for this election.
Despite their loss, the center-left Democratic Party (PD) secured around 28.5% of the vote, making it the most popular single party in Liguria, while Meloni’s Brothers of Italy received about 15%.
Turnout for the Liguria vote was just below 46%, a slight drop from the 53.4% in 2020.
Reuters adds that while Meloni’s coalition has built a strong presence in most regions, her alliance narrowly lost a race in Sardinia earlier this year, marking a rare defeat for her right-wing bloc.