ROME —Virginia Raggi, a 37-year-old insurgent newcomer, has scored a resounding victory over the candidate from Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s ruling party to become the first woman mayor of Italian capital Rome.
Raggi, a member of the upstart anti-establishment 5-Star Movement founded by Italian comedian Beppe Grillo, defeated Democratic Party candidate Roberto Giachetti in the Sunday vote by what early results show to be a nearly 2-to-1 margin. Rome had been hit by more than two years of scandal and mismanagement, which ultimately led to the resignation of the previous mayor Ignazio Marino.
As noted on Monday’s front page of Rome-based Il Messaggero, Raggi’s win was part of the 5-Star’s two victories that dealt a blow to Renzi’s party. In the northern Italian city of Turin, Chiara Appendino scored a surprise win for the mayorship, defeating incumbent Piero Fassino.
The financial capital of Milan served as some respite for Renzi, where his party colleague Giuseppe “Beppe” Sala won a tight race against a center-right challenger.
