By James Mackenzie ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi goes into elections this weekend hoping nascent signs of economic recovery after years of recession will outweigh a corruption scandal that has dogged one of the main candidates of his centre-left Democratic Party (PD). Sunday's ballots in seven regions and more than 1,000 municipalities, which follow a bruising series of parliamentary battles over Renzi's reform agenda, will be his biggest test since a triumph in last year's European elections. PD leftwingers are also in rebellious mood over labor reforms and changes to electoral rules which they say weaken the independence of parliament.