Vito Leccese wins the ballot in Bari: 70% for Antonio Decaro’s heir. «The city doesn’t want to go back»

“I would like to be the mayor of all those who did not participate in the vote because they no longer believe in the power of politics over their future.” Vito Leccese is radiant for having become the new mayor of Bari, continuing the twenty-year season of the center-left: defeated his centre-right opponent, Fabio Romito, with 70.27% of the votes.

A percentage that makes him the most voted mayor of Bari since direct elections were introduced. Leccese is happy but also aware of having been voted for by 37.53% of those entitled to vote: one of the lowest percentages in Italy. This is why he thinks of those who deserted the polls. Yet this is not a record: ten years ago the abstention rate was even higher. The then debutant Antonio Decaro won in the second round, when he received 36.15% of voters.

The three elements that led to the victory

The result of Leccese is the effect of three elements. The first concerns the recomposition of the center-left, which was divided in the first round: the Democratic Party and Leccese on one side, Michele Laforgia with the 5 Stars on the other. At the ballot they found each other, even the arithmetic says so. First round: 48% in Leccese and almost 22 in Laforgia, the sum is the dizzying 70 of yesterday and Sunday. Leccese thanks its ally for its support in the ballot and it is already known that there will be a place for the Laforgiani in the council (although there was no formal alliance). The center-right confirms the 29% achieved 15 days ago: it means that each coalition confirmed the votes of the first round and abstentionism affected everyone in the ballot in a homogeneous way without damaging one component specifically.

Second element: Leccese was able to enjoy the formidable push of the beloved outgoing mayor Decaro, of whom he was chief of staff for ten years in the Municipality. The new MEP, rewarded by 500 thousand personal preferences, was his main sponsor and the architect of his candidacy. “Vito – says Decaro – will be the right mayor for this city, he will be able to continue a virtuous path”.

Third element: the center-right started very late. Now try licking your wounds. «Best wishes to Vito – says Romito – but politicians will have to ask themselves some questions about why just over a third of the population chose the mayor». The Bari undersecretary for health Marcello Gemmato expresses gratitude to him: «We are starting again from a center-right that reaches the run-off after many years». Exactly, from 2014 mentioned before.

The carreer

Leccese, 62 years old in August, manager in the Municipality for almost 20 years, always kind to his interlocutors, knows politics very well. He was a municipal councilor more than thirty years ago at the time of the late mayor Enrico Dalfino with whom he managed the disembarkation of twenty thousand Albanians in the port of Bari (8 August 1991). Then he was a parliamentarian between 1992 and 1994 and in the 1996-2001 legislature.

Compliments of Elly Schlein

When the result consolidated yesterday afternoon, Leccese received the phone call from Elly Schlein, who arrived in Bari three times to support him. «She has always been confident – ​​says the new mayor – even when she was frightened by the division of the coalition». She from Lecce gives her a large victory and the election of 5 women to the presidency of the 5 municipalities of Bari. Now the gaze is on the future, with one certainty: «Bari must continue to move forward, with the vote she said that she does not want to go back».

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