Italy's conservatives strike deal over candidate for PM

FILE PHOTO: General view of the Senate during a confidence vote for the government after Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi tendered his resignation last week in the wake of a mutiny by a coalition partner, in Rome, Italy July 20, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

ROME (Reuters) - The party with the most votes in Italy's centre-right coalition will choose the prime minister if the bloc wins the coming election, the alliance said on Wednesday, putting far-right leader Giorgia Meloni in pole position for the top job.

Mario Draghi's government collapsed last week, opening the way for snap elections on Sept. 25, with polls suggesting the rightist alliance is well placed to win the ballot.