Matteo Renzi, staging a political comeback less than five months after resigning as Italy's prime minister, has regained the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party (PD) with an overwhelming victory in a primary election among party supporters.
According to partial results, Renzi had about 72 per cent of the vote. Justice Minister Andrea Orlando had 19 per cent while Michele Emiliano, the governor of the southern Puglia region, had about 9 per cent.
Renzi, 42, resigned as prime minister in December after a crushing defeat in a referendum over constitutional reforms aimed at streamlining lawmaking. He was replaced by Gentiloni, his foreign minister, but quickly began planning a comeback.
With a national vote due by May 2018, polls show the ruling PD has slipped behind the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, which questions the country's euro membership.
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