Regionals, Zaia effect in Veneto: over 200,000 preferences. Campania and Puglia in the wide field

The centre-right wins in Veneto and the broad camp in Campania and Puglia. This is the response, announced, of this electoral round that does not record any change in the colour of the regions on the ballot. In Veneto the leghista Alberto Stefani is at 64.4%: over 35 points behind the centre-left candidate Giovanni Manildo at 28.9%. With the Lega surprisingly winning the derby with Fdi as the most voted party in the centre-right. In Campania the Pentastelite Roberto Fico won with 60.6% over Edmondo Cirielli (Fdi) who stopped at 35.7% (25 points difference). In Puglia, the frontman of the centre-left Antonio Decaro took 64%, outclassing his centre-right rival Luigi Lobuono at 35.1% (almost 30 points difference).

Turnout is down everywhere. In Veneto it was 44.6%, compared to 61.2% in 2020 (the decline is almost 17 points). In Campania it was 44.1%, a drop of more than 11 points compared to the 2020 regional elections, when 55.5% went to the polls. In Puglia it was 41.8%, more than 14 percentage points less than in 2020 when it was 56.4%. In Veneto, turnout peaked in Padua (49%) and was lower in Rovigo (35.3%). In Campania, the highest turnout was in Caserta (47%) and the lowest in Benevento (41.2%), while Naples stood at 43.7%. In Apulia, the highest figure was in Lecce (44.5%) and the lowest in Foggia (38.6%). The figure for Bari is 42.3%.

As for the drop in turnout, it should not be forgotten that five years ago, at the same time as the regional elections, there was also a vote in the referendum to cut the number of parliamentarians (i.e. to reduce the number of elected members from 915 in the two chambers to the current 600). It was a vote that drove popular participation.

Dem secretary Elly Schlein does not hide her satisfaction: 'The alternative is there and it is competitive,' she says, 'the redemption starts from the south and will lead us to win together, the game of the next political elections is wide open. United we win, the margin of Fico and Decaro shows that united we win, and even where we do not win as in Veneto we double the results. The voters reward the united effort,' said Dem secretary Elly Schlein in Naples. She added: 'Today's real defeat is Giorgia Meloni, defeated in Campania, Puglia and also in Veneto where they hoped to overtake the League and it did not go like that'

Laconic and institutional the premier. "Alberto Stefani will be the new President of the Veneto Region. This victory is the result of the work, credibility and seriousness of our coalition. To him go my congratulations and best wishes for the challenges that await him,' the Prime Minister wrote on X from Luanda. 'Congratulations,' she adds, 'also to Antonio Decaro in Puglia and Roberto Fico in Campania for their election. "Thanks to Edmondo Cirielli, to Luigi Lobuono, to all the candidates and to all the men and women of the centre-right who have committed themselves to this electoral round."