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A6 WORLD NEWS
Monday 26 SepteMber 2022
Italians vote in election that could take far-right to power

Associated Press But the three populist par-
ROME (AP) — Italians voted ties in the coalition boycot-
Sunday in an election that ted a confidence vote tied
could move the country's to an energy relief measure.
politics sharply toward the Their leaders, Salvini, Berlus-
right during a critical time coni and 5-Star Movement
for Europe, with war in leader Giuseppe Conte,
Ukraine fueling skyrocket- a former premier whose
ing energy bills and testing party is the largest in the
the West's resolve to stand outgoing Parliament, saw
united against Russian ag- Meloni's popularity growing
gression. while theirs slipped.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. Meloni kept her Brothers of
(0500GMT) and by noon Italy in the opposition, re-
turnout was equal to or fusing to join Draghi's unity
slightly less than at the government or Conte's two
same time during Italy's last coalitions that governed
general election in 2018. after the 2018 vote.
The counting of paper bal- She further distanced her-
lots was expected to begin self from Salvini and Berlus-
shortly after they close at coni with unflagging sup-
11 p.m. (2100 GMT), with port for Ukraine, including
projections based on par- sending weapons so Kyiv
tial results coming early The League leader Matteo Salvini casts his ballot at a polling station in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. could defend itself against
Monday morning. 25, 2022. Russia. Her nationalist party
Publication of opinion polls champions sovereignty.
is banned in the two weeks alliance with anti-migrant al election in 2018. They say Hungary's Viktor Orban af- Many factories in Italy face
leading up to the elec- League leader MatteoSal- despite Europe's many cri- ter the European Commis- cutbacks — some already
tion, but polls before that vini and Silvio Berlusconi, ses, many voters feel alien- sion recommended sus- have reduced production
showed far-right leader the three-time premier who ated from politics, since pending billions of euros in — and other business might
GiorgiaMeloni and her heads the Forza Italia party Italy has had three coali- funding to Hungary over close as they struggle with
Brothers of Italy party, with he created three decades tion governments since the concerns about demo- gas and electricity bills
its neo-fascist roots, the ago. Italy's complex elec- last election — each led by cratic backsliding and the reaching 10 times higher
most popular. That suggest- toral law rewards cam- someone who hadn't run possible mismanagement than a year ago. The major
ed Italians were poised to paign coalitions, meaning for office. of EU money. candidates, despite their
vote their first far-right gov- the Democrats are disad- Early voters in Rome ex- Elections are being held six political leanings, agreed
ernment into power since vantaged since they failed pressed concerns about months early after Mario on the urgency for a EU-
World War II. Close behind to secure a similarly broad Italian politics as a whole. Draghi's pandemic unity wide price cap on energy
was former Premier Enrico alliance with left-leaning The election in the eu- government collapsed in prices, or failing that, a na-
Letta and his center-left populists and centrists. rozone's third-largest late July. Italy's president, tional one.
Democratic Party. Nearly 51 million Italians economy is being closely Sergio Mattarella, saw no Draghi, who remains in a
Letta, for his part, tweeted were eligible to vote. Poll- watched in Europe, given alternative but to have vot- caretaker role until a new
a photo of himself at the sters, though, predicted Meloni's criticism of "Brussels ers elect a new Parliament. government is sworn in, had
ballot box. "Have a good turnout could be even low- bureaucrats" and her ties Opinion polls found Draghi, for months already pressed
vote!" he wrote. er than the record-setting to other right-wing leaders a former European Central EU authorities in Brussels for
Meloni is part of a right-wing low of 73% in the last gener- — she recently defended Bank chief, hugely popular. the same remedy.q

Fire breaks out at world's biggest

produce market in Paris

Associated Press spokesman for the Paris fire across France and around
PARIS (AP) — A billowing service, said no one was in- the world.q
column of dark smoke tow- jured. The fire was brought
ered over Paris on Sunday under control and there ARUBA
from a warehouse blaze at was no risk of it spreading
a massive produce market from the soccer field-sized CLEAN
that supplies the French warehouse, covering an
capital and surrounding area of 7,000 square me-
region with much of its ters (1.7 acres), he said.
fresh food and bills itself as The cause of the blaze was
the largest of its kind in the unknown but will be investi-
world. gated, he added.
Firefighters urged people The sprawling wholesale
to stay away from the area market is a veritable town
in Paris' southern suburbs, unto itself, with more than
as 100 officers and 30 fire 12,000 people working
engines battled the blaze there and warehouses
at the Rungis International filled with fruit and vegeta- IS MORE
In this image taken from video, smoke rises from a warehouse Market. bles, seafood, meats, dairy
blaze at a produce market in Paris' southern suburbs, Sunday, Capt. Marc Le Moine, a products and flowers from DUSHI
Sept. 25, 2022.