Sara Funaro is the most loved mayor in Italy: "A result that is pleasing"

Female protagonism, which has been affecting Italian politics in recent years, is also reflected in municipal administrations: Sara Funaromayor of Florence, takes first place with a leap of 11 points compared to the previous survey, becoming the first woman to lead the ranking. This was revealed by the new edition of the Governance Poll, the annual census on the consensus of mayors and regional presidents carried out by Noto Sondaggi for Il Sole 24 Ore, on newsstands today with the newspaper.

Il Governance Poll 2026 it does not represent an electoral simulation, but measures the relationship between mayors and citizens, influenced by administrative choices, communication skills and local socioeconomic conditions. The 2026 edition signals a slight decline in overall consensus: 50% is achieved by 74 out of 92 mayors, equal to 80%, compared to 85% last year.

Sara Funaro shares the podium with two consolidated figures of the local consensus: Marco Fioravantimayor of Ascoli Piceno and winner of the 2025 edition, e Gaetano Manfredimayor of Naples and president of the ANCI. The growth of the mayor of Florence appears clear and rooted in administrative management, recognized by citizens after two years in office, in contrast with the greater caution recorded in 2025.

The program in Florence

“The rankings go up and down and, obviously, today’s result It’s a pleasing result. It’s nice that the citizens appreciate it. We continue to work hard and concretely to provide answers to our city“. This was said by the mayor of Florence Sara Funaro on the sidelines of an event, regarding the new edition of the Governance Poll, the annual census on the consensus of mayors and regional presidents carried out by Noto Sondaggi for Il Sole 24 Ore, which sees Funaro at the top of the ranking.

“We are in a complex moment, with many construction sites, with many changes in the city but with a perspective, which is to provide efficient responses to our citizens – adds Funaro – we will continue to work hard in this direction, above all to initiate those transformations that are necessary, on the issue of mobility, living, in which we are investing and will continue to invest heavily, and on the issue of protecting the historic centre. We have lined up everything a series of important measures starting from the blocking of car sharing, scooters, the regulation of trade, the issue of short-term rentals, all the terms which are complex issues, but which are evidently deeply felt by our citizens”.

The ranking

The increase was more limited Silvia Salismayor of Genoa, who ranks 33rd with 55% after the first year of her mandate. The ranking also shows strong movements in the positions immediately following the podium.
Funaro’s increase is significant, but it is not the most noticeable: the mayor of Messina Federico Basile gains 12 points, going from 50% to 62% and rising from 73 to 5th place. A result also influenced by the recent return to the polls, which saw him re-elected in the first round with 58.4%, generating a sort of “second honeymoon” with the voters.

Eleven more points also reach the mayor of Palermo Roberto Lagallawhich moves away from the last positions, while the black shirt returns to the mayor of Trapani Giacomo Tranchida. In the upper part of the ranking the presence of Southern Italy is growing. It ranks fourth Massimo Zeddamayor of Cagliari, who gains eight points reaching 63%. They follow Pierluigi Biondi in L’Aquila (61%), the former minister Clemente Mastella in Benevento and Vincenzo Voce in Crotone, confirming a particularly lively consensus dynamic in the South.

The next elections

Less than a year from an administrative shift that will involve many large cities, the Governance Poll ranking becomes a strategic indicator for parties and coalitions involved in defining candidates. Among the mayors at the end of the first mandate, Gaetano Manfredi confirms solid numbers, while Roberto Gualtieri in Rome it records a significant recovery compared to 2025: 54%, with an increase of eight points and 48 positions. In Turin Stefano Lo Russo rises to 55% in 33rd place, while in Bologna Matteo Lepore it remains just above 50%. In Milan Beppe Sala he ends his second term with a consensus of 59.5%, in 10th place.