There June election round which involved over 3,700 municipalities with 105 municipalities on the ballot saw the progressive pole triumph. In the run-offs, the centre-left wins all 5 regional capitals up for grabs (6 considering Cagliari won in the first round): Bari, Campobasso, Florence, Perugia and Potenza. While the good news for the government majority comes from Lecce, where Adriana Poli Bortone returns (who received a complimentary call from Matteo Salvini), Rovigo, Verbania and Caltanissetta, municipalities that change color by moving to the centre-right. Poor, however, theturnout which this weekend stopped at 47.71%; in the first round it was 62.92%.
Many women were elected. There are 6 out of 14 who are the first citizens who will lead the same number of cities in the capitals in which the run-off round took place today: Sara Funaro in Florence, Vittoria Fernandi in Perugia, Adriana Poli Bortone in Lecce, Maria Luisa Forte in Campobasso, Laura Nargi in Avellino and Valeria Cittadin in Rovigo. In the first round, Elena Carnevali in Bergamo and Ilaria Bugetti in Prato won. For almost all the cities voting in this electoral round, it is the first time they will have a female mayor. Only Adriana Poli Bortone has already led Lecce for two terms and is now in her third.
“A historic victory for the Democratic Party and the progressive camp. We won in all 6 regional capitals, wresting three from the right and with three new mayors. From Florence to Bari, from Campobasso to Perugia, from Potenza to Cagliari. It is irrevocable: the cities have rejected the right that governs and sent a clear message to Giorgia Meloni. No more cuts to healthcare, no more low wages and no more differentiated autonomy”. she stated secretary of the Democratic Party Elly Schlein commenting on the results of the ballots.
“Beyond the results of the second round, who won and who lost, a fact emerges that needs reflection: the double round is not saving and actually increases abstention. From the 62.83% of the first round, it has fallen well below 50%, that is, to 47.71%. In some cases, people are elected with only 20% of the votes of those entitled to vote the opponent in the first round president of the Senate Ignazio La Russa –. We need to rethink an electoral law for local elections. We should think about an electoral law perhaps following the example of the Sicilian double round or inserting suitable corrective measures to avoid distortions like these and increase participation”.
