The center-left coalition has won in the main cities today in the ballot: the most important Rome and Turin, but also Varese - where the turnaround in the Lega fails - Latina, Caserta, Cosenza, Savona and Isernia. The center-right, among the most important municipalities, resists only in Trieste.
However, the turnout at the polls collapsed, where less than one in two voters voted. Participation stops at 43.94% (the data released by the Interior Ministry does not take into account the municipal councils in progress in Friuli Venezia Giulia). Two weeks ago 52.67% of those entitled to vote had voted: the drop is therefore 9 percentage points, a record abstention.
The results of the most important challenges .
ROME - In the capital the game ended immediately, the 19 points of detachment of the center-left by Roberto Gualtieri made the comeback impossible for Enrico Michetti of the center-right. According to the first exit poll of the Opinio Italia consortium for Rai, the former minister reached a range between 59 and 63% while Enrico Michetti (center-right) was between 37 and 41%. The first Swg punctual projection for La7 confirmed this gap: Gualtieri at 59.8, Michetti 40.2.
In short, for Gualtieri celebrations less than an hour after the closing of the polling stations: “Beautiful election campaign, I thank all the Roman women and men. I am honored, with all my commitment I will be the mayor of all. An extraordinary job begins to relaunch Rome and to make it grow, to make it more inclusive and to make it work ", he said on the stage at the headquarters of his electoral committee.
"I wish the mayor my best wishes, because Rome is the most important thing, I think we gave our best and in these conditions we did what we could", Michetti's reaction.
With all the sections scrutinized the result is even more overwhelming: 60.2 against 39.8.
TURIN - The center-left also wins in Turin. Based on the first Exit poll of the Opinio Italia consortium for Rai, Stefano Lo Russo reached a fork between 56 and 60 while Paolo Damilano (center-right) stood between 40 and 44.
Here too, the first timely projections confirmed the insurmountable distance between the two candidates: for Swg / La7 Lo Russo at 58.6, Damilano at 41.4. Final results: 59.2 against 40.8.
Celebration therefore also to the electoral committee of Lo Russo: "I do not deny the emotion - said the new mayor -. I dedicate this victory to a person who for me was a teacher, a father, a guide, Don Aldo Rabino". The historic chaplain of Turin, who died in 2015, initiated Lo Russo into volunteering and politics.
"Turin did not want to fight for change - the comment of the defeated Damilano -. The real defeat is politics, it is the fact that there is a city that did not want to fight. In the suburbs there is great disillusionment, and the pandemic has accentuated the problems even more, too often there have been unfulfilled promises ".
TRIESTE - After a first head-to-head in Trieste , the candidate of the center-right (and mayor therefore for the fourth time) Roberto Dipiazza on Francesco Russo of the center-left is first. Already the first screening of the Opinio Italia consortium for Rai saw Dipiazza ahead with 51.2% over Russo at 48.8%.
At the end of the count ends 51.3 against 48.7. For Russo, however, a great comeback considering that he started from 16 points behind.
IN THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES - Apart from Trieste, in the other main municipalities the center-left is affirmed to vote.
In Varese, the outgoing mayor Pd Davide Galimberti wins. The Northern League player Matteo Bianchi in the historic Varese headquarters of the Carroccio in Piazza del Podestà urges his followers: "The game is over, but it's not a funeral, there are those who win and there are those who lose, the important thing is to be in place with one's conscience ".
Cosenza and Savona return to be governed by the center-left: in Calabria Franz Caruso beats the homonymous challenger of the center-right Francesco Caruso . In Liguria Marco Russo defeats Angelo Schirru .
In Latina victory of Damiano Coletta of the center-left-M5s over Vincenzo Zaccheo of the center-right. Csx also first in Isernia where the new mayor is Piero Castrataro against Gabriele Melogli . At Caserta Carlo Marino (Pd-Iv) beat Gianpiero Zinzi (FdI and Fi).
In Benevento Clemente Mastella (civic list) won for an encore.
(Unioneonline / D)