Berlusconi coalition seizes two southern regions from left

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right coalition yesterday wrested control of at least two regions from the opposition, according to media projections.

The coalition won in the southern regions of Calabria and Campania in addition to its northern Lombardy and Veneto strongholds in the two-day vote in 13 of Italy's 20 regions, the early partial results showed.

Polling in two key regions currently controlled by the left - Rome's Lazio and Turin's Piedmont in the north - were too close to call.

Roberto Cota of the Northern League - the anti-immigration party in Mr Berlusconi's uneasy centre-right coalition - seemed to have an edge over incumbent Mercedes Bresso.

Vying to become Lazio's next governor are former European commissioner Emma Bonino, a libertarian standing for the centre-left Democratic Party, and Renata Polverini, head of the right-wing trade union UGL.

The left held on to seven other regions including its Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna strongholds.

Turnout was the lowest in 15 years at 64.2 per cent, eight percentage points down on the last regional vote five years ago.

Paolo Gentiloni of the opposition Democratic Party said the low turnout reflected "the problem of a political class that has no answer for the economic troubles caused by the financial crisis".

Announcing turnout figures, Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said: "We should see to it that participation is stronger in the next elections in three years."

The Ipsos polling institute had predicted a low turnout because of worries over unemployment and the perception that the Berlusconi government has done little to address Italy's worst recession since World War II.

Osvaldo Napoli, a prominent member of Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom party, said before the two-day vote that a turnout under 70 per cent "would penalise us".

The Northern League was an essential ally in Berlusconi's return to power in 2008, campaigning on pledges of cracking down on illegal immigration and crime, often linking the two.