Partial returns in elections in the alpine province of Alto Adige indicated a strong showing by Italy’s neo-fascist party, the Italian Social Movement, which opposes giving preference to the

majority German speakers. But despite the party’s gains, the Alto Adige’s traditional leader, the South Tyrolean People’s Party, kept its first place showing. With 200 of 617 polling

stations reporting, the Tyrolean party had 54% of the vote, compared with 59.3% in 1983. The voting was considered a test of support for special autonomy provisions for German speakers, who

outnumber Italian speakers in the region by more than 2 to 1. The province was removed from Austria after World War I. MORE TO READ