Not just Europe. At the weekend the polls open to elect the mayors of over 3 thousand municipalities and the president of the Piedmont Region. From the stage in Naples, Forza Italia leader Antonio Tajani went further without fear of contradiction: «Alberto Cirio will be reconfirmed as leader of Piedmont». On one side there is the outgoing governor, supported by the united centre-right coalition extended to Calenda, on the other side of the field, the left-wing opposition, split into three pieces and with three candidates. Piedmont, which goes to the vote on the same weekend as the European elections, is the mirror of the national political scheme that could recur on a national level: compact centre-right open to centrist forces such as Action, left torn by internal wars. The blue governor returns to the voters for the second term with his homework done.
A “gentle revolution”, which experts define as the “Cirio model”. Head down and pedaling, is the motto of the Forzista, capable of seducing the unpredictable Carlo Calenda. Cirio’s concreteness was seen above all during the pandemic. Piedmontese healthcare was almost a perfect machine, between vaccinations and monitoring. The second trademark of Cirio’s revolution is the use of European funds. Speed and spending capacity: the most important modernization work on the road network has been started in Piedmont. Third leg is development with the boost to high speed and the industrial sector.
The alternative to Cirio? A left that arrives at the voting date with the boulder of a judicial investigation which on the eve of the elections has put the former group leader of the Democratic Party in the Regional Council Raffaele Gallo (not under investigation) out of action. The Apendino variable ruined the wide field. The former mayor of Turin did not want alliances with the Democratic Party. The Five Stars field Sarah Disabato. In Piedmont, the Democratic Party includes big names such as Piero Fassino, Sergio Chiamparino and Chiara Gribaudo. The name chosen is Gianna Pentenero who received the support of Angelo Bonelli and Nicola Fratoianni at the last minute. The “wide field” is torn apart by poisons and accusations between Appendino and the Democratic Party. Conte and Schlein saw little of each other, smelling the air of defeat. There is also a third left, the independent one, represented by the candidacy of Francesca Frediani who hopes to enter (at least her) in the Regional Council. The fifth aspirant is Alberto Costanzo, an independent citizen. His “his” is a testimony in a competition whose history seems already written.
The games are wide open in the other 3,000 municipalities up for voting, between Saturday and Sunday. No vote in 8 municipalities due to lack of candidates: Melissa (Crotone), Saliceto (Cuneo), San Lorenzo (Reggio Calabria), San Luca (Reggio Calabria), San Daniele Po (Cremona), Casasse (Turin) and San Prospero (Modena ). In Corte Palasio in the province of Lodi, however, the elections were postponed to July 28 due to the death of one of the candidates for mayor. Voting will be held in 29 provincial and six regional capitals. Spotlight on Bari and Florence. Voting is also held in Lecce, Bergamo, Cremona, Livorno, Cesena, Pescara. In the Tuscan capital, the right with Eike Schmidt dreams of the feat. The Democratic Party fields Sara Funaro while the Renzians are aiming for Stefania Saccardi. In Bari, after the access commission was sent, the atmosphere is heated.
Pd and Five Star are divided with two candidates, Vito Leccese and Michele Laforgia while the center-right drops the ace Fabio Romito. Watch out in Potenza where the outsider Pierluigi Smaldone could score a big hit, reaching the run-off.
