Centre-right wins Milan

ROME - The centre right opposition bloc took control of Italy's second city Milan in local elections yesterday, but just failed…

ROME - The centre right opposition bloc took control of Italy's second city Milan in local elections yesterday, but just failed to win a mayoral race in the country's other leading northern industrial centre, Turin. The Freedom Alliance bloc, led by former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, also missed out in Trieste to the ruling Olive Tree coalition, but was buoyed by its victory in wealthy Milan and gains in some southern areas. "The political message is clear - centre right forces are growing and the Olive Tree is drying up," said Rocco Buttiglione, head of the small centrist CDU party, which lies within the Freedom Alliance. Prime Minister Romano Prodi's year old government held onto two of the three top northern cities despite unpopular tax hikes aimed at securing Italy a place at the launch of the single European currency.