Rome&#39;s first female mayor takes office Thursday pledging to raise more than a billion Euros a year for flagging public services with a crackdown on waste, mismanagement and corruption. 
 
Backed by two-thirds of voters in Sunday&#39;s election, Virginia Raggi now has to deliver on pledges to get buses and trams running on time, clean up rubbish-strewn streets and fill the potholes that pockmark much of the capital. 
 
Sceptics say she has taken on a &quot;mission impossible&quot; given the city&#39;s perilous finances and deeply ingrained resistance to change, both in the administration and among Romans themselves. 
 
But in her first interview since her landslide triumph, Raggi said she was confident she could find the cash needed to implement the programme of her populist party, the Five Star Movement (M5S). 
 
&quot;We will start to tackle the problem of the large sums of money being wasted, which amount to 1.2 billion Euros ($1.3 billion) per year,&quot; the 37-year-old lawyer told Euronews. 
 
&quot;We have to eliminate this waste and put the money into public services.&quot; 
 
Raggi said she would also be seeking to renegotiate the terms of the city debt, which she put at 13-16 billion Euros. &quot;We can&#39;t pay interest rates that were negotiated in 2008.&quot; 
 
M5S is hoping a successful Raggi administration in Rome can provide a springboard for a tilt at national power in a general election due by 2018. That has led analysts to suggest Prime Minister Matteo Renzi will do everything he can to ensure she fails. 
 
Raggi said she was willing to work with the premier. 
 
&quot;(Renzi&#39;s) Democratic Party was very harsh towards me during the electoral campaign. But as far as I am concerned there isn&#39;t a problem. We&#39;ll start from scratch and work in the interest of Rome and its citizens. I expect the same integrity from the prime minister.&quot; 
 
Asked how she intended to root out corruption following revelations that city hall has been infiltrated by organised crime, Raggi promised scrupulous enforcement of the law on public tenders. 
 
&quot;Every company wanting to work for Rome in whatever sector will be given equal opportunity to propose their services and the best offer will get the contract.&quot; 
 
Raggi also said she intended to work closely with the National Anti-Corruption Authority, which recently analysed 1,500 contracts signed by the city and found 90 per cent of them had been awarded without due process. 
 
While there seems little doubt that Rome has been badly managed for years, some problems are down to the citizens themselves. 
 
The gridlock that undermines public transport is partly exacerbated by endemic double parking and chronic absenteeism among traffic wardens. 
 
One in four passengers on buses and trams have not bought a ticket. One in five citizens do no pay the local tax that funds garbage collection. 
 
But Raggi maintains Romans are ready to help her turn things around. 
 
&quot;Citizens have shown they want changes... we shouldn&#39;t underestimate this desire. 
 
&quot;I always said that Rome will change if the Romans change. It will take time because we don&#39;t have a magic wand. We have inherited a city that is crumbling, but I&#39;m confident we can turn the tide.&quot; 
 
Raggi is taking over from a government commissioner who has run the city since late last year when the previous mayor quit over an expenses scandal. 
 
(AFP)

Virginia Raggi says she is confident she can raise more than a billion Euros needed to implement the programme of her populist party

Rome's first female mayor takes office Thursday pledging to raise more than a billion Euros a year for flagging public services with a crackdown on waste, mismanagement and corruption. Backed by two-thirds of voters in Sunday's election, Virginia Raggi now has to deliver on pledges to get buses and trams running on time, clean up rubbish-strewn streets and fill the potholes that pockmark much of the capital. Sceptics say she has taken on a "mission impossible" given the city's perilous finances and deeply ingrained resistance to change, both in the administration and among Romans themselves. But in her first interview since her landslide triumph, Raggi said she was confident she could find the cash needed to implement the programme of her populist party, the Five Star Movement (M5S). "We will start to tackle the problem of the large sums of money being wasted, which amount to 1.2 billion Euros ($1.3 billion) per year," the 37-year-old lawyer told Euronews. "We have to eliminate this waste and put the money into public services." Raggi said she would also be seeking to renegotiate the terms of the city debt, which she put at 13-16 billion Euros. "We can't pay interest rates that were negotiated in 2008." M5S is hoping a successful Raggi administration in Rome can provide a springboard for a tilt at national power in a general election due by 2018. That has led analysts to suggest Prime Minister Matteo Renzi will do everything he can to ensure she fails. Raggi said she was willing to work with the premier. "(Renzi's) Democratic Party was very harsh towards me during the electoral campaign. But as far as I am concerned there isn't a problem. We'll start from scratch and work in the interest of Rome and its citizens. I expect the same integrity from the prime minister." Asked how she intended to root out corruption following revelations that city hall has been infiltrated by organised crime, Raggi promised scrupulous enforcement of the law on public tenders. "Every company wanting to work for Rome in whatever sector will be given equal opportunity to propose their services and the best offer will get the contract." Raggi also said she intended to work closely with the National Anti-Corruption Authority, which recently analysed 1,500 contracts signed by the city and found 90 per cent of them had been awarded without due process. While there seems little doubt that Rome has been badly managed for years, some problems are down to the citizens themselves. The gridlock that undermines public transport is partly exacerbated by endemic double parking and chronic absenteeism among traffic wardens. One in four passengers on buses and trams have not bought a ticket. One in five citizens do no pay the local tax that funds garbage collection. But Raggi maintains Romans are ready to help her turn things around. "Citizens have shown they want changes... we shouldn't underestimate this desire. "I always said that Rome will change if the Romans change. It will take time because we don't have a magic wand. We have inherited a city that is crumbling, but I'm confident we can turn the tide." Raggi is taking over from a government commissioner who has run the city since late last year when the previous mayor quit over an expenses scandal. (AFP)

Rome's first female mayor takes office on Thursday

Italy&#39;s anti-establishment Five Star movement (M5S) has achieved a major breakthrough by winning&nbsp;Rome&#39;s mayoral election. 
 
The country&#39;s second biggest political force is a hard-to-describe broad church, resisting traditional categories of left and right and defined by its anti-establishment stance. 
 
 
How did it emerge? 
 
M5S was founded by comedian Beppe Grillo in 2009 as an alternative to established politicians and institutions in a country long blighted by corruption. 
 
It eschewed traditional political channels and the media for civic lists and citizen meet-ups, embracing the expletive &quot;vaffanculo&quot; (&quot;go screw yourself&quot;) as a political slogan. 
 
Co-founder Gianroberto Casaleggio, a communications entrepreneur considered the M5S&#39;s &quot;guru&quot; until his death in April, created a series of online platforms for &quot;direct democracy&quot;, and all the&nbsp;party&#39;s candidates are elected online. 
 
What does it want? 
 
The&nbsp;party&nbsp;is built on the dual pillars of mistrust of traditional politics and honesty of its members. 
 
It wants greater transparency, a reduction in political salaries, action in favour of the environment, a referendum on the euro, growth measures for small and medium businesses and free Internet for all. 
 
Populist or leftist? 
 
Although based on a similar mass rejection of the establishment as Spain&#39;s Podemos and Greece&#39;s Syriza, the M5S is not left-wing or anti-austerity. 
 
Grillo called for a &quot;clamp-down&quot; on humanitarian visas for asylum seekers in 2014. And the movement withdrew its support for gay civil unions in parliament earlier this year at the last minute, despite 80 per cent of its voting members favouring the bill. 
 
A government in waiting? 
 
The M5S made a sensational debut by scooping 25 per cent in the 2013 general election, becoming the second biggest political force in&nbsp;Italy&nbsp;behind the centre-left Democratic&nbsp;Party&nbsp;(PD) in one swoop. 
 
It hopes&nbsp;Rome&nbsp;will be a platform for a tilt at national power but its&nbsp;party organisation remains weak: it presented candidates for just 18 per cent of the 1,368 municipalities in the latest elections. 
 
How it operates: 
 
M5S&#39;s political novices, dubbed &quot;Grillini&quot; after founder Grillo, are struggling to make their voices heard in parliament: the movement refuses to form any alliances with its opponents and cold-shoulders mainstream media. 
 
Locally elected representatives are bound by a code of conduct that requires them to seek permission from the&nbsp;top&nbsp;for every important decision. 
 
The&nbsp;party&#39;s anti-corruption banner has also been blackened by allegations it struck deals with local mobsters in Naples in southern&nbsp;Italy, while preliminary probes have been launched&nbsp;into&nbsp;the M5S mayor of Parma in the north for abuse of office and his counterpart in coastal Livorno for fraud. 
 
Who follows the joker? 
 
Although he has officially distanced himself from politics and returned to the stand-up circuit, outspoken Grillo drew bad press last month with an off-colour joke on London&#39;s new Muslim mayor and his blog is still perceived as a voice box for the movement. 
 
Smart-suited Luigi Di Maio is tipped to replace him as the movement&#39;s figurehead but&nbsp;Rome&#39;s newly elected mayor Virginia Raggi is now equally well-placed to assume the role. 
 
(AFP)

It was founded by a comedian and one of their slogans has been 'vaffanculo' or 'go screw yourself'

Italy's anti-establishment Five Star movement (M5S) has achieved a major breakthrough by winning Rome's mayoral election. The country's second biggest political force is a hard-to-describe broad church, resisting traditional categories of left and right and defined by its anti-establishment stance. How did it emerge? M5S was founded by comedian Beppe Grillo in 2009 as an alternative to established politicians and institutions in a country long blighted by corruption. It eschewed traditional political channels and the media for civic lists and citizen meet-ups, embracing the expletive "vaffanculo" ("go screw yourself") as a political slogan. Co-founder Gianroberto Casaleggio, a communications entrepreneur considered the M5S's "guru" until his death in April, created a series of online platforms for "direct democracy", and all the party's candidates are elected online. What does it want? The party is built on the dual pillars of mistrust of traditional politics and honesty of its members. It wants greater transparency, a reduction in political salaries, action in favour of the environment, a referendum on the euro, growth measures for small and medium businesses and free Internet for all. Populist or leftist? Although based on a similar mass rejection of the establishment as Spain's Podemos and Greece's Syriza, the M5S is not left-wing or anti-austerity. Grillo called for a "clamp-down" on humanitarian visas for asylum seekers in 2014. And the movement withdrew its support for gay civil unions in parliament earlier this year at the last minute, despite 80 per cent of its voting members favouring the bill. A government in waiting? The M5S made a sensational debut by scooping 25 per cent in the 2013 general election, becoming the second biggest political force in Italy behind the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) in one swoop. It hopes Rome will be a platform for a tilt at national power but its party organisation remains weak: it presented candidates for just 18 per cent of the 1,368 municipalities in the latest elections. How it operates: M5S's political novices, dubbed "Grillini" after founder Grillo, are struggling to make their voices heard in parliament: the movement refuses to form any alliances with its opponents and cold-shoulders mainstream media. Locally elected representatives are bound by a code of conduct that requires them to seek permission from the top for every important decision. The party's anti-corruption banner has also been blackened by allegations it struck deals with local mobsters in Naples in southern Italy, while preliminary probes have been launched into the M5S mayor of Parma in the north for abuse of office and his counterpart in coastal Livorno for fraud. Who follows the joker? Although he has officially distanced himself from politics and returned to the stand-up circuit, outspoken Grillo drew bad press last month with an off-colour joke on London's new Muslim mayor and his blog is still perceived as a voice box for the movement. Smart-suited Luigi Di Maio is tipped to replace him as the movement's figurehead but Rome's newly elected mayor Virginia Raggi is now equally well-placed to assume the role. (AFP)

Raggi's party is called Five Star Movement, it is anything but

After two and a half millennia of being ruled by men, Rome will wake up on Monday under new management. 
 
Virginia Raggi was&nbsp;elected on Sunday as the Italian capital&#39;s first female mayor, sweeping into city hall on the ticket of the populist Five Star movement (M5S) with the backing of two thirds of voters. 
 
A Roman born and bred, the 37-year-old lawyer is a political novice but the campaign saw her grow increasingly assured in her public performances as it became clear she was on course for victory. 
 
According to her website, mountain hikes, swimming and skiing are among the favourite pastimes of the Dire Straits fan who won plaudits during the campaign for her effortless elegance in the style-conscious Eternal City. 
 
Friends say her gentle manner belies a steely core. 
 
Raggi only entered politics five years ago, drawn in by her husband&#39;s support for M5S founder Beppe Grillo&#39;s declaration of war on the establishment and traditional political parties. 
 
The movement&#39;s anti-corruption theme struck a chord in Rome, where the centre-left mayor was forced to resign last year over an expenses scandal only months after it emerged the city had been haemorrhaging cash to organised crime. 
 
In a narrative she exploited relentlessly on the campaign trail, Raggi told AFP it was the birth of her son Matteo that convinced her she had to do something about the dilapidated city, once the capital of an empire, now plagued by potholes and rubbish. 
 
Elected to the city council in 2013, Raggi, a specialist in intellectual property, was quickly noticed for her eloquence and stubbornness. 
 
Growing up in the Saint John Lateran area of Rome, close to the Colosseum and historic centre, she was a studious child&nbsp;and a stubborn one, by her own account. 
 
&quot;I was a curious young girl, interested in many things, but very focused, as I am today. Determination never failed me,&quot; she said. 
 
 
Unflinching 
 
M5S held its primary for mayoral candidates online, and Raggi was quickly picked as a frontrunner thanks to a slick video presentation. 
 
It wasn&#39;t long before her dark eyes and chiselled features were staring out from posters in underground stations and on the side of the late-arriving buses that helped to put her in power. 
 
Public transport was one of the key issues Raggi&#39;s campaign focused on as she vowed to undo 20 years of stagnation, corruption and administrative mismanagement. 
 
Critics have said the challenges of running Rome will be too much for a political ingenue and that the party will pay a price for getting its hands dirty in the day-to-day grind of running a near-bankrupt sprawling metropolis. 
 
Raggi can however count on a honeymoon period and a new role as the poster girl of a movement looking to shore up its identity after founder Grillo decided to take a step back from politics and focus on his stand-up comedy. 
 
Rome&#39;s hard-to-please citizens appear to have embraced University of Rome graduate, admiring how Raggi, narrowing her eyes in a television debate between the candidates, bore the attacks of opponents without flinching. 
 
At the end of the feisty exchanges she softened her tone and appealed to voters with a simple message: &quot;If you want nothing to change, vote for them&quot;. 
 
One of her biggest challenges will be convincing the city she can act independently, despite signing a contract with M5S in which she pledged to toe the party line and consult it on all major administrative decisions. 
 
&quot;Four or six eyes are better than two&quot; she said in defence of that arrangement, while insisting she will be very much her own woman. 
(AFP)

The 37-year-old lawyer is the first woman to rule eternal city in two-and-a-half millenia

After two and a half millennia of being ruled by men, Rome will wake up on Monday under new management. Virginia Raggi was elected on Sunday as the Italian capital's first female mayor, sweeping into city hall on the ticket of the populist Five Star movement (M5S) with the backing of two thirds of voters. A Roman born and bred, the 37-year-old lawyer is a political novice but the campaign saw her grow increasingly assured in her public performances as it became clear she was on course for victory. According to her website, mountain hikes, swimming and skiing are among the favourite pastimes of the Dire Straits fan who won plaudits during the campaign for her effortless elegance in the style-conscious Eternal City. Friends say her gentle manner belies a steely core. Raggi only entered politics five years ago, drawn in by her husband's support for M5S founder Beppe Grillo's declaration of war on the establishment and traditional political parties. The movement's anti-corruption theme struck a chord in Rome, where the centre-left mayor was forced to resign last year over an expenses scandal only months after it emerged the city had been haemorrhaging cash to organised crime. In a narrative she exploited relentlessly on the campaign trail, Raggi told AFP it was the birth of her son Matteo that convinced her she had to do something about the dilapidated city, once the capital of an empire, now plagued by potholes and rubbish. Elected to the city council in 2013, Raggi, a specialist in intellectual property, was quickly noticed for her eloquence and stubbornness. Growing up in the Saint John Lateran area of Rome, close to the Colosseum and historic centre, she was a studious child and a stubborn one, by her own account. "I was a curious young girl, interested in many things, but very focused, as I am today. Determination never failed me," she said. Unflinching M5S held its primary for mayoral candidates online, and Raggi was quickly picked as a frontrunner thanks to a slick video presentation. It wasn't long before her dark eyes and chiselled features were staring out from posters in underground stations and on the side of the late-arriving buses that helped to put her in power. Public transport was one of the key issues Raggi's campaign focused on as she vowed to undo 20 years of stagnation, corruption and administrative mismanagement. Critics have said the challenges of running Rome will be too much for a political ingenue and that the party will pay a price for getting its hands dirty in the day-to-day grind of running a near-bankrupt sprawling metropolis. Raggi can however count on a honeymoon period and a new role as the poster girl of a movement looking to shore up its identity after founder Grillo decided to take a step back from politics and focus on his stand-up comedy. Rome's hard-to-please citizens appear to have embraced University of Rome graduate, admiring how Raggi, narrowing her eyes in a television debate between the candidates, bore the attacks of opponents without flinching. At the end of the feisty exchanges she softened her tone and appealed to voters with a simple message: "If you want nothing to change, vote for them". One of her biggest challenges will be convincing the city she can act independently, despite signing a contract with M5S in which she pledged to toe the party line and consult it on all major administrative decisions. "Four or six eyes are better than two" she said in defence of that arrangement, while insisting she will be very much her own woman. (AFP)

Virginia Raggi elected mayor of Rome

Rome&#39;s first female mayor Virginia Raggi faces a series of challenges described by one expert as &quot;mission impossible&quot;. 
 
Here are some of the top issues she will be grappling with: 
 
Transparency in the administration which has been rocked by serial scandals to be achieved in cooperation with the national anti-corruption body. 
 
Improved public transport with an increased number of buses and trams, more reserved lanes for buses and taxis, a clampdown on double-parking and measures to encourage cycling. 
 
Better garbage collection and recycling. Crackdown on fly-tipping and littering. 
 
Raggi wants to reduce the numbers of Roma and Sinti people staying in camps around the capital via a survey of their assets. Anyone with property elsewhere will be asked to leave.&nbsp; 
 
Olympic bid: Raggi wants to use sport, art and culture to bolster Rome&#39;s international image, but she has said the bid for the 2024 Games, backed by the government, is not a priority. 
 
Her position on the Olympics appeared to soften during the campaign and she has said she will appoint a bid backer, ex-rugby international Andrea Lo Cicero as her sports supremo. 
 
Rome&#39;s debts: Raggi has not said how she plans to reduce the crippling municipal debt burden of more than 12 billion euros ($13.5 billion), beyond ordering an audit of city finances. 
 
Raggi has also been vague about streamlining the city&#39;s 60,000 workforce, notorious for chronic absenteeism. On any given day, one in five employees is not at his or her desk. 
 
With all these items and more on her to-do list, Raggi is looking at a &quot;mission impossible&quot;, according to Roberto D&#39;Alimonte, political science professor at Rome&#39;s Luiss university. 
 
(AFP)

From maintaining transparency in the system to improving public transport to reducing municipal debt, Raggi has lofty tasks up her sleeve.

Rome's first female mayor Virginia Raggi faces a series of challenges described by one expert as "mission impossible". Here are some of the top issues she will be grappling with: Transparency in the administration which has been rocked by serial scandals to be achieved in cooperation with the national anti-corruption body. Improved public transport with an increased number of buses and trams, more reserved lanes for buses and taxis, a clampdown on double-parking and measures to encourage cycling. Better garbage collection and recycling. Crackdown on fly-tipping and littering. Raggi wants to reduce the numbers of Roma and Sinti people staying in camps around the capital via a survey of their assets. Anyone with property elsewhere will be asked to leave. Olympic bid: Raggi wants to use sport, art and culture to bolster Rome's international image, but she has said the bid for the 2024 Games, backed by the government, is not a priority. Her position on the Olympics appeared to soften during the campaign and she has said she will appoint a bid backer, ex-rugby international Andrea Lo Cicero as her sports supremo. Rome's debts: Raggi has not said how she plans to reduce the crippling municipal debt burden of more than 12 billion euros ($13.5 billion), beyond ordering an audit of city finances. Raggi has also been vague about streamlining the city's 60,000 workforce, notorious for chronic absenteeism. On any given day, one in five employees is not at his or her desk. With all these items and more on her to-do list, Raggi is looking at a "mission impossible", according to Roberto D'Alimonte, political science professor at Rome's Luiss university. (AFP)

'Mission Impossible' for Rome's new mayor Virginia Raggi?

Voters in the Italian capital went to the polls on Sunday with all signs indicating that they will elect Virginia Raggi as the first female mayor of the Eternal City. 
 
Raggi, a 37-year-old lawyer and local councillor, has leapt from anonymity to become one of the best-known faces in Italian politics in the space of only a few months on the campaign trail. 
 
The telegenic Raggi, whose victory would be a blow for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, is the rising star of the populist Five Star movement (M5S), the anti-establishment party founded by comedian Beppe Grillo. 
 
Polling stations opened at 7:00 am and were set to close at 9:00 pm today. 
 
More than nine million voters are eligible to take part in Sunday&#39;s second round election in 126 communes, including Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin and Bologna. 
 
All eyes are on Five Star which has emerged as the best-supported opposition to the centre left, Democratic Party (PD)-led coalition of Prime Minister Renzi, and the stakes are extremely high for a movement that was only founded in 2009. 
 
With the ebullient Renzi&#39;s star waning slightly, success in Rome could provide a platform for a tilt at national power in general elections due in 2018. 
 
The PD also faces defeat in Italy&#39;s financial capital Milan and a tough challenge in Turin. 
 
&quot;We are witnessing a historic moment,&quot; Raggi said after the June 5 first round of voting, from which she emerged with 35 per cent of the vote, well ahead of her run-off rival, Roberto Giachetti (24 per cent). 
 
It was a remarkable achievement for a party with a very limited organisational apparatus and also for a woman who only entered politics five years ago. 
 
The&nbsp;move, she recently told AFP, was triggered by the birth of her son Matteo and her determination that he should not grow up in a city beset by the intertwined problems of failing public services and endemic corruption. 
 
Opposition to Italy&#39;s endemic cronyism and sleaze is the foundation of M5S&#39;s appeal to voters and the Roman electorate have had their fill of those in recent years. 
 
Landmark polls 
 
Dozens of local businessmen, officials and politicians are currently on trial for their involvement in a criminal network that ripped off the city to the tune of tens -&nbsp;if not hundreds -&nbsp;of millions. 
 
From stealing the funds allocated to get ethnic Roma children to school out of isolated camps, to paving the city&#39;s streets with wafer-thin surfaces, scams abounded for years, according to prosecutors, in what is known as the Mafia Capitale scandal. 
 
Renzi has sought to minimise the implications of the results of the election repeating that the &quot;mother of all battles&quot; for him is an October referendum on sweeping constitutional reforms aimed at ushering in stability into Italian politics. 
 
He has pledged to step down if he loses. 
 
In the run-up to the second-round, there have been reports in the Italian press that Raggi failed to declare payments for consultations to a public body, an allegation she has dismissed. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just muck-racking,&quot; she said. &quot;I have already clarified that I have declared everything and it&#39;s all in line with the rules.&quot; 
 
Mario Calabresi, the editor of Italy&#39;s prominent La Repubblica daily, said in an editorial on Saturday that the polls were &quot;destined to leave a mark on Italian politics and a possible rupture with the established system&quot;. 
 
He said the party for many was &quot;associated with hope&quot;. 
(AFP)

Anti-establishment local councillor Virginia Raggi, a 37-year-old lawyer, has become one of the best-known faces in Italian politics

Voters in the Italian capital went to the polls on Sunday with all signs indicating that they will elect Virginia Raggi as the first female mayor of the Eternal City. Raggi, a 37-year-old lawyer and local councillor, has leapt from anonymity to become one of the best-known faces in Italian politics in the space of only a few months on the campaign trail. The telegenic Raggi, whose victory would be a blow for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, is the rising star of the populist Five Star movement (M5S), the anti-establishment party founded by comedian Beppe Grillo. Polling stations opened at 7:00 am and were set to close at 9:00 pm today. More than nine million voters are eligible to take part in Sunday's second round election in 126 communes, including Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin and Bologna. All eyes are on Five Star which has emerged as the best-supported opposition to the centre left, Democratic Party (PD)-led coalition of Prime Minister Renzi, and the stakes are extremely high for a movement that was only founded in 2009. With the ebullient Renzi's star waning slightly, success in Rome could provide a platform for a tilt at national power in general elections due in 2018. The PD also faces defeat in Italy's financial capital Milan and a tough challenge in Turin. "We are witnessing a historic moment," Raggi said after the June 5 first round of voting, from which she emerged with 35 per cent of the vote, well ahead of her run-off rival, Roberto Giachetti (24 per cent). It was a remarkable achievement for a party with a very limited organisational apparatus and also for a woman who only entered politics five years ago. The move, she recently told AFP, was triggered by the birth of her son Matteo and her determination that he should not grow up in a city beset by the intertwined problems of failing public services and endemic corruption. Opposition to Italy's endemic cronyism and sleaze is the foundation of M5S's appeal to voters and the Roman electorate have had their fill of those in recent years. Landmark polls Dozens of local businessmen, officials and politicians are currently on trial for their involvement in a criminal network that ripped off the city to the tune of tens - if not hundreds - of millions. From stealing the funds allocated to get ethnic Roma children to school out of isolated camps, to paving the city's streets with wafer-thin surfaces, scams abounded for years, according to prosecutors, in what is known as the Mafia Capitale scandal. Renzi has sought to minimise the implications of the results of the election repeating that the "mother of all battles" for him is an October referendum on sweeping constitutional reforms aimed at ushering in stability into Italian politics. He has pledged to step down if he loses. In the run-up to the second-round, there have been reports in the Italian press that Raggi failed to declare payments for consultations to a public body, an allegation she has dismissed. "It's just muck-racking," she said. "I have already clarified that I have declared everything and it's all in line with the rules." Mario Calabresi, the editor of Italy's prominent La Repubblica daily, said in an editorial on Saturday that the polls were "destined to leave a mark on Italian politics and a possible rupture with the established system". He said the party for many was "associated with hope". (AFP)

Rome set to elect first female mayor

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Rome's first female mayor takes office on Thursday

Raggi's party is called Five Star Movement, it is anything but

Virginia Raggi elected mayor of Rome

'Mission Impossible' for Rome's new mayor Virginia Raggi?

Rome set to elect first female mayor