An electoral round that sees Meloni and Schlein beat the territory in search of confirmations and conquests, in all 18 capitals to vote, one of which from the Region, Ancona
These May are administrative elections but the attention of the political world is such as to clearly show what kind of value is given to them, probably because they are the first after important government initiatives such as the work decree, and it is the first round involving over 700 municipalities – including 17 provincial capitals and one of the Region, Ancona in the Marches – and all this happens even after the recent changing of the guard at the helm of the Democratic Party. There had already been a first taste in Friuli Venezia Giulia, with the surprise of Udine where the centre-left had won, sweeping away all predictions, just a few days after Elly Schlein’s election as secretary. But now it’s up to the rest of the Regions, with different timing for those with ordinary statute and those with special statute.
The timing of the vote, the Regions with ordinary statute
It starts on Sunday 14 and Monday 15 May with the Regions with ordinary statute, and any ballots (envisaged only for municipalities with over 15 thousand inhabitants, which in this round are 91) will take place on Sunday 28 and Monday 29 May.
Appointment at the same times as always: Sunday from 7 to 23, Monday from 7 to 15.
The vote in Sardinia and Sicily
Sicily, where the map of alliances is particularly “variable” and the vote will be an important test case in particular for the president Renato Schifani who took on the role of mediator keeping the center-right coalition together not without tensions, is the region with more common to vote: one million and 300 thousand Sicilians are called to the polls. Spotlights on especially on the four capitals to vote, Catania, Trapani, Ragusa and Syracuse. The appointment is for 28 and 29 May, as well as for Sardinia. Any ballots, on the other hand, would be scheduled for 11 and 12 June.
The leaders on the field, Meloni returns to rallies
These administrations are therefore important for the cities that will see the renewal of mayors and municipal councils but they are also the first real electoral test one year from the next European elections of 2024, which will be the real test for the mid-term term. So here is the prime minister Giorgia Meloni returns to rallies and aims to increase the advantage of the center-right – which already governs the bulk of the main cities that this time go to the vote – trying to wrest capital cities such as Ancona and Brescia from the center-left. And Elly Schlein immediately hit the territory with the intention and hope of reproducing the Udine effect. Perhaps recovering the three Tuscan strongholds Siena, Pisa and Massa now governed by the center-right.
The political formations in the capitals: compact center-right, center-left with variable alliances
The secretary of the Pd looks to the wide field also in anticipation of the 2024 regional elections in Piedmont but for this electoral round the center-left presents itself with different alliances almost everywhere, divided into more than half of the capital cities and in fact Pd and 5 stars are united only with Brindisi, Latina, Pisa and Teramo. As well as in Catania and Syracuse.
The 5 stars support their candidates in Brescia, Imperia, Massa, Siena, Terni, Treviso and Vicenza. The game is also played on the thread of attention to the most recent trends found in the sympathy of the electorate, with the Pd which, with the shift to the left after the arrival of Schlein at the helm of the party, has significantly gained ground above all on the 5 Stars, which now, to avoid the risk of being absorbed or crushed, they must therefore raise the bar on what they consider to be their identity values, such as basic income. Marking once again one’s “difference” and thus dissociating oneself from a potentially engulfing alliance.
For now and not everywhere, however. As in previous elections, the scheme is indeed variable and the declarations on both sides regularly leave the door open to future possibilities.
The situation in the field of the center-right which is in government is quite different, it is already busy dealing with any differences of views on national macro-issues, therefore it finds no use in marking distances in this electoral circumstance and on the territory.
And in fact it shows itself to be absolutely compact in the capitals except in Massa, where the Brothers of Italy support one of its candidates. Separate discussion for the Third Pole which, after the tensions and the de facto break between Calenda and Renzi, presents unitary lists in only 4 of the capitals, in at least as many cities Action and Italia Viva are divided and in some cases they also support center-right candidates .
A variegated and certainly interesting political scenario to follow, waiting for the data to be analyzed post-vote, starting with that on the turnout which – given the constant worrying trend of ever lower numbers – will be really important to monitor.
Source-tg24.sky.it