Italy: Regional vote pairs far-right League, centrist party Voters in one of Italy's least populated regions cast ballots in election seen as having little use as a predictor for how national political parties will do in May's European Parliament elections

ROME -- Voters in one of Italy's least populated regions are casting ballots in an election that was regarded as a limited indicator of national parties' popularity ahead of European Parliament elections.

The governorship and regional assembly of Abruzzo, central Italy, were at stake Sunday.

The anti-migrant League party allied with former Prime Minister's Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia for the regional election.

The League is the junior partner in Italy's populist government, while the Forza Italia is in the opposition in the national Parliament. The League's leader, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, has ruled out teaming up with the relatively moderate party for May's European Parliament elections.

Opinion polls have seen the League steadily eclipse the popularity of the government's senior partner, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement. The 5-Stars also fielded candidates in Abruzzo.