Adriana Poli Bortone is the new first citizen of Lecce. The result of the final ballot confirms the victory of the centre-right candidate over the outgoing Carlo Salvemini, representative of the centre-left, who escaped by a handful of votes in the first round. She received 50.69% of the votes of those entitled to vote in the second round.
For the senator, this is the third mandate on the highest seat of Palazzo Carafa but the emotion for the affection received from her electorate which prevented her from reaching the Committee in via Braccio Martello was equally great. ”Let me be myself. I am also this,” said Adriana Poli Bortone.
These are the first statements released to the press by the new mayor of Lecce: ”Victory dedicated to all those who were with me: my family, my friends, the many young people and children who recognized me in this long electoral campaign and also to journalists who have followed me in recent months. I didn’t follow the count, I preferred to play burraco while waiting for the outcome. Then my friends warned me how things were proceeding and accompanied me here. Salvemini’s best wishes? I don’t tell him anything in particular. I’m always sorry for those who lose, but now I’m happy to have reunited the Lecce centre-right at the end of my political career. My first step as new mayor? I’ll put some flowers in the city… I’m happy with the great participation of my electorate. I also received phone calls from Rome. The first was Minister Valditara, but I know that Giorgia Meloni also looked for me. The axis with the national government is certainly being consolidated where they are happy that I can represent a small piece of the South for which we wrote our electoral program together. This is why I will be going to Rome in the next few days”.
The new mayor of Lecce then headed to Piazza Sant’Oronzo where the stage for the closing rallies of the electoral campaign was still set up, where many cheering supporters had gathered. After singing the Italian anthem with the members of the centre-right coalition, Adriana Poli Bortone spoke to the crowd through a megaphone because for good luck a service with microphones and piped music had not been set up.
”Thank you to all of you from Lecce who have shown incredible affection and generosity. You made me feel like family in this city. Thank you for your way of being, for making me feel your closeness. I’m happy to see you all around me, but I want to thank you in another way to express my emotion. Especially for the many young people met and found in these months of the electoral campaign. I would like to have a friendly meeting with all the citizens of Lecce on Saturday evening to all be together in joy, leaving behind all the bad things that have happened in this electoral campaign. Only the beautiful things you gave me should remain. Thank you, I kiss and hug you all”.
