At 48, Sara Funaro becomes the first female mayor of Florence with about 20 points ahead of the centre-right candidate, the former director of the Uffizi Eike Schmidt. Palazzo Vecchio is in the DNA of the new first town, nephew of Piero Bargellini, the Christian Democrat writer and mayor of Florence during the flood that hit the city in 1966.
Mayor, did you imagine such a large success for the election of the first woman at the helm of Florence? She didn’t even have the support of the united broad field…
“I’m sincere. Even though the wind had been changing in recent weeks, I had no perception of such a state. Just as, two weeks ago, I didn’t have 43% in the first round. We did exceptional team work. The fact of being the first female mayor of Florence is the main element of this success. It is important news for all women because in our country the message is finally arriving that women, in politics and beyond, can have top roles. A change is happening, so I like to think of this role as a stimulus for all the girls who have a dream and want to achieve it.”
As soon as the victory was certain, you had a thought for your grandfather Piero Bargellini, the mayor of Florence during the 1966 flood. What kind of figure was he for you?
«My grandfather died when I was little. I don’t think he would have imagined that one day I would become mayor too, now he will be proud. In my memories as a child he has always been a point of reference and in the city he was always a much loved mayor, even today he is often remembered. And he reciprocated, loving Florence and the Florentines very much. I have read a lot about him, both as a writer and as mayor. He always loved to repeat: “I made so many declarations of love to Florence that I had to marry her.” Today I reread that sentence and I was very moved because I saw myself in it.”
The electoral campaign was long and bitter. The tones were not always soft with the center-right and there were strong splits on the left. How do we start again now in the Council?
«I believe that in Florence, with this election, a fairly clear indication has been given of which camp the citizens want in government. The center-left won, with the Democratic Party and the coalition that accompanied us. Now it is still early to make any reasoning, we do not yet have the official data. But I think that when we all sit in the City Council, both the majority and the opposition, we must have the objective of carrying forward projects for the good of the city. I have always been a woman of dialogue, I have been so for many years as a councilor and I will continue even more so as mayor.”
Have you drawn up a hundred day program? What are the priorities you want to address immediately?
«There is certainly no shortage of work to be done. I would like to intervene on neighborhood trade and the protection of historic businesses, for this reason I will convene a table with the categories with the aim of implementing measures. Then there is the issue of security: in addition to participating in the public order table, I would like to go to the Interior Ministry to ask for answers for our city, continuing to work in collaboration with Prefect Ferrandino. I will certainly then speak on the housing issue, which in Florence is a real emergency and must be addressed immediately. Then we need to intervene on citizen services, they ask for answers and in my political activity I have always been attentive to these needs. Then there is clearly the stadium issue.”
Former mayor Dario Nardella, next to the European Parliament, complimented her. Did Matteo Renzi also give you a call?
“No. But I spoke to our secretary a little while ago and I will hear from her later. I really thank Elly Schlein, she has always been very present. And a little while ago I also heard from Romano Prodi.”
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