Excerpt:
A far-Right party has emerged as a key winner in the Italian elections marking a continuing trend of support for Right wing parties across Europe.
The Northern League, an anti immigration party, which has now become pivotal in Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's ruling coalition, has seen it's support more than double in the last five years.
Led by firebrand Umberto Bossi, who once called for the Italian navy to shell boats carrying illegal immigrants towards the country, his victory mirrors those recently by far right parties in Hungary, Holland and France.
In the last regional elections held in 2005 the League secured just 5.7 per cent of the vote but in subsequent polls they have seen their popularity grow and this time it was 12.7 per cent.