The Portrait

De Luca, from flamethrower to Covid: the success of the former governor with the sharp wit

The result marks the return of the 'sheriff' who was previously mayor of Salerno four times, between 1993 and 2015

by Letizia Giostra

25 May 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

First steps in politics
First time as mayor
Assignments in Rome
The arrival in the region

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

In Salerno Vincenzo De Luca triumphs, who will once again hold the office of first citizen for the fifth time. Confirming this are exit polls,which award a range of votes between 56 and 60 per cent, allowing the 'sheriff' to beat the other seven candidates.

This is the nickname he acquired during his years as mayor. For De Luca, it has always been a feature of his tenure. During the Covid pandemic, when he was president of the Campania region, he made himself known to the general public with direct social media broadcasts in which he lashed out at those who did not comply with the stringent rules to contain the number of contagions. Unforgettable quotes such as 'We will send you the carabinieri with flamethrowers' with which he also won the sympathy of the younger generation. To confirm his candidacy for mayor once his term as president was over, he again used one of his catchphrases: 'Playtime is over'.

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First steps in politics

Born in 1949, Vincenzo De Luca was not born in Campania, but in Basilicata, to be exact in Ruvo del Monte, a small town of less than 1,000 souls in the province of Potenza. He then moved with his family to Salerno and it was there that he took his first steps into the political world, joining the Italian Communist Party. He was later appointed provincial secretary of the PCI and then of the Democratic Party of the Left.

He divides his days between his political and academic careers. He enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine in Naples and then changed his path and returned to Salerno, where he graduated in Philosophy and then also undertook a teaching career in various high schools in Campania.

The first time as mayor

De Luca first joined the municipality in 1990. His appointment was as municipal councillor and the positions he held were councillor for public works and deputy mayor.

But the turning point came in the spring of 1993 when - due to the resignation of the first citizen Vincenzo Giordano - De Luca wore the tricolour sash for the first time, collecting 71.3% of the votes with the 'Progressisti per Salerno' list, with which he was then reconfirmed for his subsequent terms in 1997, 2006 and 2011 when he obtained 75% of the votes.

As mayor he has gained recognition for his way of working, which has earned him the nickname 'sheriff'. Urban decency and safety are his priority, importing from America the 'zero tolerance' slogan used by former New York mayor Rudolph 'Rudy' Giuliani. Among the memorable moments of his mandates is the purchase of truncheons to be given to traffic policemen.

The assignments in Rome

During the 2000s he was forced to divide his time between Salerno and Rome. From 2001 to 2008, he was elected to the Camera dei Deputati. He was also a member of the Bicameral Commissionfor the waste emergency, the Transport and Telecommunications Commission and the Agriculture Commission. In January 2013, he was appointed Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Transport in the Letta government.

A position that earned him several problems from a legal point of view, as he was still wearing the tricolour sash at the time and therefore could not hold two offices at the same time. An affair that turned into a legal battle that lasted two years.

The arrival in the region and the return as mayor

At the end of 2014, he ran in the centre-left primaries to become president of the Campania Region. A title he won after gaining 52% of the vote. 18 June 2015 marked the beginning of the De Luca era, which ended last year.