Lollobrigida, who turned 95 in July, is trying to become a senator with Sovereign and Popular Italy (ISP), a new Eurosceptic anti-Mario-Draghi political alliance that opposes sending weapons to Ukraine and “military Atlanticism”. She told Corriere della Sera that she was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, for his “way of doing things, his non-violence” and that she was a “great friend” of India’s first female prime minister, Indira Gandhi. “I saw her every time she came to Rome. She was an extraordinary woman.” Lollobrigida was one of the most glamorous actors of Hollywood’s golden age, known for films such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Solomon and Sheba. She said last month that she was “determined to stay creative” and now wants to use some of that energy “for important things, especially for my country.” The last time Lollobrigida attempted to enter politics was in 1999, when she ran in the European Parliament elections as a candidate for Romano Prodi’s Democrats. In January this year, Italy’s highest court said she needed a legal guardian to prevent people from looting her wealth. Symbols of 101 political parties, movements and lists were submitted to Italy’s interior ministry for approval on Sunday ahead of the September 25 vote. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Brothers of Italy, the far-right party leading a coalition tipped to win, has kept a neo-fascist tricolor flame symbol on its official logo despite calls in recent days to remove it. In an interview with Corriere della Sera on Sunday, the leader of the Brothers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, said the party was “proud” of the flame: “It has nothing to do with fascism, but it is the recognition of the path taken by democratic right in our democratic history,” he said. Parties have until August 22 to register their lists of candidates. The Brothers of Italy remains the largest party in Italy, according to the latest polls, while its far-right counterpart and coalition partner, the League, has been ahead in surveys in recent weeks. Together with Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, the tight alliance could win around 45% of the vote, benefiting from the divisions that are destroying its rivals. The centre-left Democratic party (PD) has struggled to form a coalition influential enough to fend off what could be a right-wing landslide. Days after breaking the alliance deal with the PD, Carlo Calenda, the leader of the centrist Azione party, joined forces with former prime minister Matteo Renzi, who leads Italia Viva, to form what they called “a third pole ” which provides a “pragmatic alternative to the dichotomy of right and left”. Berlusconi, who turns 86 four days after the vote, said last week he planned to run for senator in order to “make everyone happy”.
