"Giorgia Meloni Faces Election Defeat as Sardinia Elects Leftwing President"
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's rightist bloc suffered a significant defeat in the regional election in Sardinia, with the left-leaning 5-Star Movement candidate Alessandra Todde winning by a narrow margin. This marks Meloni's first major electoral setback since taking office in 2022 and the first time the centre-left has flipped a region since 2015. The result gives hope to opposition parties ahead of upcoming regional and nationwide elections, while also raising questions about the future of Matteo Salvini's League party.