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Italy’s left apparently won the first big test of humor in the Corona phase. According to projections made on Monday night, the right-wing opposition around former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini did not fulfill its objective of provoking a change in Florence, bastion of the Social Democrats (PD), in the regional elections in Tuscany.
Tuscany, which has been ruled by the left for several decades, had a particular symbolic power when it was voted (read more here). Opposition leader Salvini wanted to seize power in central Italy for the first time with his 33-year-old candidate Susanna Ceccardi. By extrapolation, it only reached about 40 percent in the two-day vote. He was far behind the Social Democrat Eugenio Giani, who won about 48 percent of the vote on the night.
The elections were seen as a major test for the government of Rome, which the non-party Giuseppe Conte has led for about a year. Some experts had predicted big losses in advance for the alliance, which is dominated by the Social Democrats and the five-star populist movement. According to calculations, the regional president of the PD, Vincenzo de Luca, won in Campania with around 60 percent of the vote. And in Apulia, the Social Democrat Michele Emiliano clearly triumphed over Raffaele Fitto of the Fratelli d’Italia. By contrast, center-right candidates won in three other regions.
Approval to reduce the size of parliamentary chambers
There was broad approval for the referendum held in parallel to reduce the size of the two parliamentary chambers in Rome by a third each. At first counts, nearly 70 percent voted in favor. The reform foresees that the number of representatives in the House of Representatives will be reduced from 630 to 400. In the second chamber, the Senate, in the future only 200 people will sit instead of 315. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luigi Di Maio , from the Five Star Movement, spoke of a “historic result.” His party was the driving force behind the downsizing.
The partners in the center-left coalition in Rome are seen to be divided on many points. Unlike the right-wing opposition, they were unable to agree on common candidates in elections in some regions. However, both parties have an interest in avoiding early elections. The next regular parliamentary elections in Italy are scheduled for 2023. Italy has been battling the corona pandemic since February and is one of the worst affected countries in Europe. Strict hygiene rules were applied in the election.
