(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are their own.)

MILAN - Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has emerged stronger from the country’s local elections. Centre-left candidates reaped big wins in the large cities of Milan, Naples and Bologna on Sunday and Monday. Meanwhile Matteo Salvini’s rightist League had a poor showing, coming behind the hard-right Brothers of Italy party in several municipalities.

Salvini’s electoral humiliation reduces the chances that he will break away from the ruling coalition and call for early elections. This is a boon for Draghi, the former European Central Bank president whose government is currently propped up by a broad group of right and left parties. He now has a better chance of staying in place until the end of the legislature in March 2023.

It’s also a positive for Italy: Draghi is pushing through key reforms to improve the country’s judicial system and public administration. He is also overseeing projects linked to some 200 billion euros of European Union post-pandemic funds. By staying longer at the helm, he has more time to revamp Italy. (By Lisa Jucca)

(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are their own.)

(Editing by Neil Unmack and Oliver Taslic) ((SIGN UP FOR BREAKINGVIEWS EMAIL ALERTS: http://bit.ly/BVsubscribe))