Italian election sees 7% drop in turnout

Italians are voting for a second day in a national election which will determine if they are prepared to stay the course of painful economic reform or send a message of discontinuity to the political class that led the country to the brink of disaster by rallying around a protest party.

Polls close at 3pm (2pm Irish Time), ending two days of voting in an election being closely watched by Italy’s eurozone partners as well as international investors trying to decide if they consider the eurozone’s third-largest economy a good bet.