Municipal elections in Potenza, a twist in the centre-right, but there is no shortage of news and last-minute changes in the centre-left. The Northern League member Mario Guarente with a step to the side gave up the encore. Now in the running is Francesco Fanelli, outgoing regional councilor for health and former vice-president of the regional council, also in the League. A decision taken to encourage enlargement in the center-right and “give the future city government a large majority”, which was affected by the centrists’ lack of support for the outgoing mayor. The intent of the centre-right coalition is to replicate the model proposed in the recent regional elections and the winning result also on the scene of the electoral competition in the capital of the Lucanian region.
The decision to give up the race for the leadership of the city for the next five years was communicated yesterday with a note from Guarente himself. «I have taken note – stated the outgoing mayor – with the satisfaction and willingness of the national and local leaders of the League, Fratelli d’Italia, Forza Italia and Noi Moderati, to reconfirm myself as a coalition candidate also for the next electoral round. To date, once again my sense of responsibility leads me, however, to have to make a choice that goes in the direction of favoring enlargement in the center-right, in order to give the future city government a majority that is as large and stable as possible” . «Potenza – added Guarente – deserves wise choices». Immediately afterwards the path of talks opened between the political forces of the “Polo della Responsibilidad” and the secretaries of the parties of the centre-right coalition. «Only with a shared method and an ambitious programmatic agreement, as has already happened successfully during the regional elections, is it possible to give the people of Potenza a city government that is up to the challenges that Potenza will have to face in the coming years», they stated in a joint note from the city secretaries of Action, UDC and Dcr with Rotondi, i.e. the parties that make up the so-called “Polo della Responsibilidad”.
Yesterday afternoon, Italia Viva also joined the coalition in support of Francesco Fanelli, mayor. For Matteo Renzi’s party: «The coalition that supported President Vito Bardi in the previous regional elections remains the best possible advanced form in Basilicata to guarantee good governance at all administrative levels». In Potenza, according to what was communicated by the city coordination of the party, work is already underway to form “a list of authoritative candidates to give impetus to the project” with the aim of “working towards the relaunch of the Lucanian regional capital”.
There is no shortage of last-minute news and changes on the other fronts either. After long negotiations and meetings, the Five Star Movement will support the lawyer Pierluigi Smaldone, candidate for mayor of the “Potenza Ritorna” civic movement. The other two candidates running in the center-left are Vincenzo Telesca, supported by the majority of the Democratic Party, and Francesco Giuzio, indicated by Basilicata Possibile and Sinistra Italiana.
