ROME

Italy’s governing right-wing coalition retained control of the southern Abruzzo region in a closely watched electoral test for the ruling parties.

The center-right candidate and the region’s incumbent President Marco Marsilio prevailed with around 53.5% of the votes over the opposing candidate Luciano D’Amico.

The results are likely to give a boost to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy party, which was the most voted, ahead of the European parliament’s elections in June and after her coalition suffered a defeat in regional elections in Sardinia two weeks ago.

The defeat in Sardinia had galvanized the opposition Democratic Party and 5 Star Movement which struck an alliance just for those elections.

In Abruzzo, center-right leaders, including Meloni, campaigned heavily over the last days to avoid another defeat.

“Marco Marsilio is the first president in the history of Abruzzo to be confirmed for a second term. For us, it is a reason for great pride … We won’t betray, as always, this trust,” Meloni wrote on X, commenting on the electoral results.

Opposition parties admitted defeat but renewed their appeal to remain united as the only way to have a chance to win elections.

Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein conceded that the right-wing coalition is “still strong,” but renewed her appeal for center-left to overcome their divisions and stick together, as they did in the Abruzzo’s and Sardinia’s regional elections.​​​​​​​