The left and right retain their strongholds in Italy's partial regional elections

RomeAround 13 million Italians were eligible to vote in regional elections held in Veneto, Campania, and Apulia, which ended without surprises and were marked by low voter turnout. The right-wing coalition governing the country, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, won as expected in the Veneto region—a historical stronghold of Matteo Salvini's League—while the center-right retained power in the southern regions of Campania and Apulia. Polling stations opened on Sunday and closed at 3:00 PM on Monday. While final results are still pending, initial counts confirm the victory of right-wing candidate Alberto Stefani in Veneto, the region of Venice, with over 62% of the vote. Stefani thus succeeds the outgoing president, Luca Zaia, one of the barons of Salvini's party, who was ineligible to run again because he had exceeded the limit of two consecutive terms as head of the regional government. The new governor faced the progressive candidate, Giovanni Manildo, who obtained around 30% of the vote, according to the first results.

There were also no surprises in the southern regions of Campania – whose capital is Naples – and the tourist region of Apulia, where the center-right retains power. In Campania, where the controversial outgoing governor, Vincenzo De Luca, of the Democratic Party, has ruled with an iron fist for a decade, he defeated the candidate of the progressive coalition formed by the Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement. With approximately 59% of the vote, Roberto Fico, who was Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies during Giuseppe Conte's two terms, will succeed De Luca, who resisted the two-term limit until he had no choice but to support Fico. Fico faced off against Deputy Foreign Minister Edmondo Cirielli, who garnered 36% of the vote.

In Apulia, the progressive option also prevailed, with the victory of former Bari mayor Antonio Decara, who obtained over 66% of the vote against his opponent, businessman Luigi Lobuono (30%), backed by the right.

A taste of the general elections

The elections have been viewed as a testing ground for the general elections scheduled for 2027, and they confirm the balance of power at the regional level in recent months: the right-wing coalition, made up of Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, Salvini's League, and Antonio Tajani's Forza Italia, governs in thirteen regions, while the left-wing coalition governs in thirteen regions. The elections have also served to demonstrate the capacity of the progressive coalition, comprised of the Democratic Party (PD) and the Five Star Movement, along with other small left-wing parties, to present itself as a solid alternative capable of challenging the current government.