The Centre Right in Sardinia has won a comfortable victory against a left-wing coalition in Sardinia’s Presidential and legislative elections. Centre right Ugo Cappellacci now will be running the island for the next five years. The result was a test of the popularity of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Cappellacci was his favoured candidate and protege. Forty eight year old Cappellacci must also pull together a regional parliament.

His friend Berlusconi has a massive home in Sardinia and the political links between Rome and the island are now strong. The election was also about whether Sardinia wants closer ties with the state of Italy or more independence. It is already an autonomous region but voters appear to want closer ties to the state. The big loser in this poll was left winger Renato Soru, the founder of the Italian telecoms giant Tiscali and once known as one of the world’s richest men. He once carried the hopes of the left wing but is now the outgoing President. He gave Sardinians a choice. Either be free and European or simply an Italian province. The voters chose the latter.More about: Italy

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