Italy's Meloni loses control of Sardinia in election defeat

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni addresses the media during her meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, November 22, 2023. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

ROME (Reuters) -Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suffered her first significant electoral setback since taking office in 2022, results showed on Tuesday, with her rightist bloc losing power on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia.

Alessandra Todde, a member of the left-leaning 5-Star Movement who was backed by the Democratic Party (PD), won 45.4% of the vote at Sunday's election, edging out Paolo Truzzu, a candidate handpicked by Meloni, who took 45.0%.