(Bloomberg) -- Italy's Five Star Movement could get a popularity boost with former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte as its leader, according to a new poll.
The party has been hemorrhaging support in recent months and has been polling at around 15% in recent surveys, but it could gain about 6% more votes if Conte were to lead it, an SWG poll released late on Monday shows.
| Party | Support | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Conte-led Five Star | 22% | +6.2% |
| League | 22.3% | -1.1% |
| Democratic Party | 14.2% | -4.3% |
Conte, a 56-year-old lawyer and academic, has led two Italian government coalitions without any official party affiliation.
As one of the country's most popular politicians, Conte is now positioning himself for a new career within Five Star and has been discussing a plan to overhaul it with party leaders.
Italy's Conte Takes Role With Five Star for New Phase of Career
A rise in popularity would give Five Star -- already the biggest force within parliament -- a shot at once again becoming Italy's largest party, overtaking Matteo Salvini's struggling League.
Five Star's recovery could come at the expense of the Democratic Party, which could lose about 4% of support among voters, according to the SWG poll.
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