Behind the three municipalities on the ballot starting Sunday lies the showdown in the center-right. Voting takes place in Civitavecchia and Palestrina (in the province of Rome) and in Tarquinia (in the province of Viterbo) on Sunday 23rd from 7am to 11pm and on Monday 24th from 7am to 3pm.
In Civitavecchia the challenge is between Massimiliano Grassomayoral candidate supported by five lists (Fratelli d’Italia, Lega, Lista Grasso, La Svolta and Civitavecchia 2030) and Marco Piendibene, supported by the Democratic Party, the Green Left Alliance, the Civic Union and the 5 Star Movement. In the first round the M5s ran with its candidate, Vincenzo D’Antò.
To try to beat the centre-right, the strategy was the formal agreement signed between Piendibene and D’Antò in recent days. The centre-right, on the contrary, is more divided than ever: in the round coinciding with the European elections, Paolo Poletti came third, candidate from Forza Italia in conflict with the outgoing mayor Ernesto Tedesco and therefore with the League. The result was that Grasso took 34.6% of the votes, his centre-left opponent 21.4 and Poletti 17.9; it is not at all certain that Forza Italia will now decide to bring votes to FdI and Lega who seem more rivals than allies.
Also in the province of Rome, in Palestrina, the seat of mayor is contested by Igino Macchisupported by the Democratic Party and some civic lists, e Giuseppe Cilia, supported by Forza Italia and Noi-Moderati. Also in this case the Azzurri decided to go their own way, while Fratelli d’Italia and Lega supported Eleonora Nuvoli (who finished third).
The contest for votes continues in the province of Viterbo, in Tarquinia. Here they have arrived at the ballot Francesco Sposetti (PD, M5s, Avs) e Alessandro Giulivioutgoing mayor supported by Fratelli d’Italia, Forza Italia and Unione di centro.
The centre-right was therefore unable to repeat the first round, which recorded a record turnout with 71.92%. This is because it was none other than Renato Bacciardi, a loyalist of the governor of Lazio Francesco Rocca, who nibbled away votes for the FdI candidate. The aspiring mayor was a candidate in the regional elections with the Rocca list, of which he was the most voted. However, he was unable to enter the regional council.
His candidacy for mayor with the support of the governor was seen by many on the right as a trip to the Brothers of Italy, but now those votes taken by Bacciardi are needed by the center-right.
