Italy’s governing parties banking on upcoming regional election in Abruzzo

Elections in the Italian region of Abruzzo could be a turning point for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing three-party coalition, as the now united left, which made gains in recent regional elections in Sardinia, looks set to pose a threat at the national level and in the upcoming EU elections.

The defeat in Sardinia is a bitter pill for Italy’s right-wing government parties. Meloni is being questioned for imposing Paolo Truzzu as the new prime minister, especially as this went against the choice of League leader and deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini, who instead wanted the outgoing governor Christian Solinas, also from his party, to run for another term.

But now all eyes are on Abruzzo, with elections set for 10 March.

On the side of the right-wing governing parties, Fratelli d’Italia’s Marco Marsilio, the region’s current governor, will represent the government majority.

“There is an opportunity to win again immediately. I am absolutely optimistic both for the centre-right and Lega’s list result. Every now and then, falling can serve as an examination of what you can do more and better”, Salvini said.

As for the centre-left, which won the elections in Sardinia, albeit narrowly, it will be united again for the Abruzzo elections, hoping that the same wind will blow.

The Democratic Party (PD/S&D) and the Five Star Movement (M5S) of former prime minister Giuseppe Conte have overcome their previous rivalry and are finally forming the famous ‘wide field’ together with the other smaller regional parties. However, the post of coalition leader is still up for grabs between Elly Schlein (PD) and Conte.

“It had been since 2015 since we won a region where the right governed”, Schlein commented.

“To succeed in creating a solid project that can convince the electorate, the alliance between PD and M5S is the only way”, added Sardinia’s new governor, Alessandra Todde (M5S).

But the optimism was more measured for Conte as he spoke of a “complicated” contest.

“There is an outgoing centre-right junta (leading group), and when there are elections, there is a whole clientelist system that operates with small micro-financing,” he warned.

According to Winpoll, the competition for the regional presidency appears to be extremely tight between the candidates in the race, with Marsilio garnering 50.4% of the vote against Luciano D’Amico’s (PD) 49.6%, excluding the undecided and those who do not intend to vote (34%).

(Federica Pascale | Euractiv.it)