Gianni Alemanno wins upset victory in Rome

April 28, 2008 In what many are calling an upset victory, Alemanno -- candidate of the same center-right coalition that backed media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, who was elected prime minister two weeks ago -- held a comfortable 53.3%-to-46.7% advantage over former Minister of Culture and Mayor Francesco Rutelli, with 95% of the votes counted. The festival, founded by Rutelli ally Walter Veltroni, played a central role in Alemanno's ads, some of which contrasted the festival's star-studded red carpet with immigrant shanty towns on the edge of town and city streets filled with potholes. In remarks during the campaign, Alemanno said he would look to replace some of the festival's main directors, shrink the festival staff of 650 and reduce the festival's 15 million euros ($23.9 million) budget by at least 1 million euros ($1.6 million).

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