Rome

THE second and final round of municipal elections in Italy on Sunday showed a resurgence in support for 80-year-old former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party and its centre-right allies.

Berlusconi-backed candidates won run-offs in mayoral races across the country including Genoa and Verona, while an independent candidate was ahead in Parma, marking a significant setback for Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni's ruling Democratic, or PD party, which is led by his predecessor Matteo Renzi.