Municipalities, Sunday and Monday election test after referendum

It is the first electoral test after the centre-right's defeat in the March referendum on justice. And it will serve to provide some useful indications on the health of the majority. As well as on the competitiveness of the progressive line-up based on the Pd-M5s axis. With two challenges in particular in the spotlight: Venice and Reggio Calabria, where the chances of a change of administration colour are greater. With the centre-left aiming to conquer the lagoon capital after the end of the mayoral cycle of Luigi Brugnaro (for 11 years at the helm of the city). And the centre-right is betting on victory in Reggio Calabria, where it has lined up 11 lists in support of Francesco Cannizzaro, deputy group leader of Forza Italia in the Chamber of Deputies, who is also supported by Azione.

There are 6.2 million Italians called to the polls on Sunday 24 and Monday 25 May in 743 municipalities. Of these, 18 are the provincial capitals (Venice, Mantua, Lecco, Arezzo, Pistoia, Prato, Fermo, Macerata, Chieti, Avellino, Salerno, Andria, Trani, Crotone, Reggio Calabria, Agrigento, Enna and Messina). In towns with more than 15,000 inhabitants in the ordinary statute regions, the mayor wins in the first round if he or she exceeds 50 per cent of the votes, otherwise there is a runoff on 7 and 8 June. Sicily instead has a different threshold: 40 per cent is enough to be elected immediately.

The starting situation is this: 5 outgoing administrations are of the centre-right, 8 are of the centre-left and 5 are from civic lists. The balance of the electoral round will weigh the ups and downs. The progressive front wants to return to the leadership of Venice, shaken by the cases of the Russian pavilion at the Biennale and the dismissal of Beatrice Venezi from the direction of La Fenice theatre. This is also why all the bigwigs of the coalition have shown up in recent days, from Conte to Renzi to Fratoianni to Bonelli. Yesterday it was PD secretary Elly Schlein who closed the election campaign for Andrea Martella (Dem senator and former undersecretary for publishing) supported by a very wide field ranging from reformists to the Communist Refoundation. He is opposed by Simone Venturini (centre-right, also supported by Azione), councillor in the council of outgoing mayor Brugnaro.

In Reggio Calabria, on the other hand, deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini closed the campaign yesterday. And Fdi has also mobilised its bigwigs to wrest the city from the centre-left, which is fielding the acting mayor Domenico Battaglia (who took over after the exit of Giuseppe Falcomatà, who was elected to the regional council last October): in the last week, both the party's secretary in charge, Arianna Meloni, and the person in charge of organisation, Giovanni Donzelli, have stopped over in the city.

The Pd-M5S alliance (which in the six regions on the ballot in 2025 had always run together) is also consolidating at the local level. But in three capitals (Mantua, Salerno and Trani) out of the 18 on the ballot, the M5S is running independently. In Salerno in particular, Vincenzo De Luca, who after 10 years at the helm of the region, is aiming to win the mayoralty for the fifth time. De Luca, a self-candidate, is supported by seven lists (five civic) in which Dem exponents are also present. No PD symbol, however. Denied by the national leadership so as not to upset the balance of the broad camp that won at the last regional elections with 5-star Roberto Fico. In the city, the Five Stars are fielding Massimo Lanocita, also supported by Avs. While the centre-right has compacted in extremis around Gherardo Maria Marenghi, professor of administrative law.