Forza Italia, the political party founded by former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi, recently signed an agreement with the Romanians in Italy Party, under which the Romanians' party would support Forza Italia in the coming European and administrative elections.

Romanians, which make up one of the largest communities of foreigners in Italy, with an estimated number above 1 million people, would thus be able to propose several of their own candidates.

Romanians in Italy are allowed to either vote for a candidate in their home country for the European Parliament elections, or for one in Italy. But in order to vote in Italy, Romanians would have had to sign up on the electoral rolls in Italy by February 24. In Rome, only 1,500 Romanians have done so.

The recent agreement was signed by Renato Brunetta, Forza Italia's representative in the Chamber of Deputies in Italy, and a former minister in the Berlusconi government, and by Giancarlo Germani, from the Romanians in Italy Party.

Present at the meeting was Romanian media mogul and party founder Dan Diaconescu, from the Popular Party Dan Diaconescu - PP-DD. The party will run in Italy on Italian lists, Diaconescu said.

Berlusconi himself will not be allowed to run for a seat in the EP, after being sentenced to jail in 2013 for fiscal fraud. He is still awaiting decision on how to serve his sentence, whether under home arrest or jail time.

editor@romania-insider.com