The triumph of the right in Italy strengthens Meloni’s government

Italy’s ruling right-wing coalition emerged strengthened from municipal elections held in 786 of the country’s nearly 8,000 municipalities, culminating in runoffs in several on Sunday and Monday. Conservative candidates won in six of the eleven disputed provincial capitals, those of the center-left in only two, and the centrists in two more. There is still no definitive information on the Sicilian city of Syracuse, where the right-wing candidate seems to be in the lead.

The case of Sicily, an indicator of national electoral trends, is interesting: in Catania, one of the most industrialized and important cities in the south, right-wing lawyer Enrico Trantino won more than 66% of the vote, ousting his center-left opponent.

According to the centrist MP, the extreme right Giorgio Meloni is the big winner of these municipal ones. “Italians believe in her and her party because they appreciate the work of the government she leads, even though one of the coalition partners is doing everything to weaken it,” he says, referring to the far-right League party. For the deputy, “the right-wing wind that seems to be blowing in southern Europe also helps: the conservatives won in Greece, and in Spain the socialist Sánchez just suffered a defeat…”.

Political science professor Andrea Cerón from Milan believes that these results confirm the “strength and popularity” of the government among voters. “If the executive continues like this, without major mistakes or external shocks, it will be able to triumph in the European elections next year and reach the end of the legislature with a good percentage of consensus.”

The center left has lost some of its traditional strongholds, such as Ancona and Pisa, in Tuscany, which, in addition to having the most famous leaning tower in the world, is an important university center. The only positive data for the leader of the Democratic Party (PD) Elly Schleinthe one from the industrial city of Vicenza (northeast), where the thirty-year-old Giacomo Possamai won, respected by the former prime minister Enrico Letta and respected by the local business community, who managed to win both (a little) the young people of the city and the old.

According to Italian media, several PD barons have been attacking Schlein since Monday evening, who was elected party secretary two months ago. It is also criticized by several analysts, adds Ceron. “According to them, defeat in these municipal elections would be a confirmation of PD’s inability to win with Schlein’s electoral program. But the PD has long been losing in parts of the country where it had broad support years ago. As for academics, it will take time for the left to gain more support. In the meantime, there is a growing possibility for Meloni to remain prime minister until 2027.