Milan: the battle over the mayoral candidate heats up within the coalitions – here are all the names in the running
The coalitions are debating candidate nominations and selection methods, amidst internal divisions, emerging figures and the key role played by Fratelli d’Italia in forging a united centre-right alliance.
In Milan, the race for mayor to succeed Giuseppe Sala, ahead of next spring’s elections, is already heating up. On the centre-left, the debate centres on whether to hold primaries or field civic candidates such as Mario Calabresi, whilst on the centre-right, FdI is seeking to avoid divisions between the Lega, Forza Italia and the moderates. The strategies and the names in the running paint a complex and evolving political picture.
Centre-left: the rift over the primaries and the civic figure
Within the progressive camp, the turning point centres on the selection process. The leading figure in the civic movement is Mario Calabresi, a journalist and former editor-in-chief of *La Repubblica* and *La Stampa*, whose profile is garnering support in the polls and attracting interest from reformist circles. Calabresi has shown a willingness to take on a civic role for the city, but his candidacy is dividing the left wing within the Democratic Party. At the same time, pressure is mounting from within the city council and the PD: the deputy mayor Anna Scavuzzo has confirmed her willingness to take part in a primary process, whilst Pierfrancesco Majorino, the PD group leader in the Lombardy Regional Council, remains a key figure. The secretary of the PD Elly Schlein and the outgoing mayor Giuseppe Sala have adopted a cautious stance on the use of primaries, fearing that an internal contest would exacerbate divisions rather than unite the alliance.
The outsiders
The list of names in the Sala administration also includes the Councillor for the Budget Emmanuel Conte and the Councillor for Culture Tommaso Sacchi, alongside younger figures such as Tommaso Goisis, Lorenzo Pacini and the lecturer Carlotta Cossutta (granddaughter of Armando, a long-standing leader of the Italian Communist Party, representing the Green and Left Alliance).
Centre-right: the challenge facing the parties and FdI’s coordinating role
On the other side, the centre-right is aiming to win back Milan with candidates who are either politically active or have strong local roots, albeit with differing strategic visions amongst its allies. Forza Italia has officially put forward the candidacy of the Under-Secretary of State for Defence Matteo Perego, backed by long-standing moderate figures in the city such as Gabriele Albertini and Letizia Moratti.
Tensions between the League and Forza Italia
The League, for its part, is strongly backing MEP Silvia Sardone, who is supported by Secretary Matteo Salvini as a figurehead to reaffirm the League’s influence in Lombardy. Also still on the table at the national summit is Maurizio Lupi, leader of Noi Moderati and a possible figure for political mediation. Acting as a counterbalance is Fratelli d’Italia, the party with a relative majority led at local level by the President of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa. FdI has so far adopted a cautious and controlled approach: the party’s primary objective is to avoid the fragmentation of the coalition and premature power struggles, maintaining a measured stance on the primaries in order to foster a unified front capable of capturing the moderate and civic vote in Milan.
