Regionals, no election day: this is why an election campaign is expected until Christmas

After Sardinia, Abruzzo, Basilicata and Piedmont, 2024 will also see Liguria, Emilia Romagna and Umbria on the ballot for regional elections. In 2025 it will then be the turn of Campania, Veneto, Marche, Puglia and Valle d'Aosta. As far as the current year is concerned, the dates have already been set for Liguria (27 and 28 October) and Emilia Romagna (17 and 18 November), while Umbria has not yet made official the days on which it will go to the polls: the orientation would seem to fall between mid-November and the beginning of December.

The hypothesis of an election day to merge the three appointments - put forward by the centre-right - seems to have receded. Given the technical problem of Liguria, which must necessarily vote by October, an agreement was needed from all the regions involved to bring the consultations forward to 27 and 28 October. An agreement that has not materialised, however.

Liguria has brought forward the elections by a year following the resignation of governor Giovanni Toti, who was involved in the judicial investigation that also led to his arrest. With only two months to go before the vote, the centre-right and centre-left coalitions have not yet expressed official candidates for the presidency of the region, currently led by Alessandro Piana. While the former chairman of the Anti-Mafia parliamentary commission Nicola Morra (United for the Constitution) has announced his candidature. For the centre-right, FdI, Lega, and Forza Italia have not reached a consensus on a unified name. In the centre-left, the M5s senator Luca Pirondini, an orchestra professor, has put his name alongside that of the former minister Andrea Orlando (Pd), until a few days ago considered unique and shared. With exactly two months to go before the vote, the wide field seems to be deadlocked. And Orlando has given the ultimatum, demanding a decision within the week.

The situation in Emilia Romagna and Umbria is more defined. In the former, the coalition supporting the acting president Irene Priolo (centre-left and M5s) will present Michele de Pascale (PD), while the centre-right has united on the name of Elena Ugolini, independent, former undersecretary in the Monti government. In Umbria the outgoing Donatella Tesei (League) for the centre-right and the independent mayor of Assisi, Stefania Proietti for the wide field, with the mayor of Terni Stefano Bandecchi as third wheel, will compete. There are currently 14 regions and autonomous provinces governed by the centre-right (Piedmont, Basilicata, Abruzzo, Trentino, Alto Adige, Molise, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Lazio, Sicily, Calabria, Liguria, Marche and Veneto). The centre-left governs in five: Sardinia, Campania, Apulia, Tuscany and Emilia Romagna. In Valle d'Aosta, the Autonomists govern.

After Sardinia, Abruzzo, Basilicata and Piedmont, 2024 will also see Liguria, Emilia Romagna and Umbria on the ballot for regional elections. In 2025 it will then be the turn of Campania, Veneto, Marche, Puglia and Valle d'Aosta. As far as the current year is concerned, the dates have already been set for Liguria (27 and 28 October) and Emilia Romagna (17 and 18 November), while Umbria has not yet made official the days on which it will go to the polls: the orientation would seem to fall between mid-November and the beginning of December. The hypothesis of an election day to merge the three appointments - put forward by the centre-right - seems to have receded. Given the technical problem of Liguria, which must necessarily vote by October, an agreement was needed from all the regions involved to bring the consultations forward to 27 and 28 October. However, this agreement has not materialised. Liguria brought forward the elections by a year following the resignation of governor Giovanni Toti, who was involved in a judicial investigation that also led to his arrest. With only two months to go before the vote, the centre-right and centre-left coalitions have not yet expressed official candidates for the presidency of the region, currently led by Alessandro Piana. While the former president of the Anti-Mafia parliamentary commission Nicola Morra (United for the Constitution) has announced his candidature. For the centre-right, FdI, Lega, and Forza Italia have not reached a consensus on a unified name. In the centre-left, former minister Andrea Orlando (PD) is in the field, but the convergence with M5s and Avs is slow in coming. The situation in Emilia Romagna and Umbria is more defined. In the former, the coalition supporting acting president Irene Priolo (centre-left and M5s) will present Michele de Pascale (Pd), while the centre-right has compacted on the name of Elena Ugolini, independent, former undersecretary in the Monti government. In Umbria, the outgoing Donatella Tesei (Lega) will challenge for the centre-right and the independent mayor of Assisi, Stefania Proietti for the centre-left, with the mayor of Terni Stefano Bandecchi as third wheel.