Ballots, 3-3 in the capitals. And the focus is already on the policies

Ends in equality the game of ballots in the provincial capitals. The center-right tears Lecco to the center-left and confirms Arezzo e Macerata. The center-left tears Agrigento to the center-right and confirms Chieti e Trani. Net of Veneziathe politically heaviest challenge won by the centre-right, the electoral round which ends with the run-offs on Sunday and Monday, also considering the first rounds, saw 18 provincial capitals voting.

The centre-left goes from 8 to 10, the centre-right from 5 to 6, the civics from 5 to 2. They change color Agrigento, Avellino, Crotone, Anna, Lecco, Pistoia e Reggio Calabria. In detail: Agrigento and Pistoia move from the centre-right to the centre-left. The centre-left then confirms Andria, Chieti, Mantua, Prato, Salerno and Trani. Lecco and Reggio Calabria move to the centre-right. Some municipalities governed by civic councils also change direction: Avellino to the centre-left, Crotone to the centre-right and Enna to the centre-left. Finally the confirmations: Venice, it was said, remains center-right as do Arezzo and Macerata. The center-left, however, maintains Andria, Chieti, Mantua, Prato, Salerno and Trani.

Giorgia Meloni’s position on the outcome of the ballots

The first Giorgia Meloni expresses his satisfaction with the results on social media: “The results once again confirm the strength of the centre-right, the solidity of the coalition and its roots in the territories. Let’s carry on like this, with seriousness and concreteness”, underlines Meloni after having congratulated and wished “all the mayors elected in the ballots, of all sides” well in their work.

Elly Schlein’s reply

The dem secretary responds to the prime minister, Elly Schlein: “I see that Giorgia Meloni continues to have problems with the calculator”, he says: “Out of 18 capitals voting, between the first round and the run-offs, 8 mayors go to the centre-left and 6 mayors to the centre-right”. For Schlein, therefore, “beyond the propaganda of Meloni and Salvini, even in this electoral round the numbers show a clear affirmation of the progressive alliance, with the Democratic Party being the first party in much of the country”.

Matteo Renzi’s observations

Also for Matteo Renzi the prime minister’s reading suffers from an excess of optimism: “In the provincial capitals it ended 10-6 for the centre-left. On international politics they didn’t invite us to London. On economic policy, debt, salaries, bills and productivity are worsening. And you tell us ‘continue like this?’ Whoever is happy enjoys it, I understand. But this is too much.”

The reading of the centre-right

The centre-right’s reading is almost unanimous. The deputy prime minister and secretary of Forza Italia Antonio Tajani underlines that “the centre-right wins many ballots and confirms itself as the leading coalition”. The leader of the League, Matteo Salviniwrites on social media: “Macerata, Lecco, Arezzo and many other municipalities won by the centre-right and the League: good job to the mayors and all the newly elected officials!”.

Perspectives towards policies

A result that projects the coalition towards the 2027 elections, for which Tajani invites everyone to get “to work to increase consensus where we have not yet achieved the objective, to win the political elections and prevent the left from putting its hands in the pockets of Italians: neither property nor inheritance tax”.

The reactions in the center-left

But even in the centre-left there is an attempt to read the data according to the national challenge. “This ballot demonstrates once again that it is possible to win at a national level. But it also and above all demonstrates that from tomorrow a new story begins for these communities”, underlines Matteo Renzi. Also for Angelo Bonelli of Avs, today’s message is “a political message that goes beyond the administrative vote and that speaks to the country: there is a growing demand for change in the face of a right incapable of giving answers on the cost of living, on public health, on wages and on the social crisis”.