Second round of Italian local elections solidifies the left in large cities

We now know who the new mayors of Rome, Turin and Trieste will be

The results from the second round of the Italian local elections are in, with Rome and more than 60 other municipalities waiting to find out who their new mayors will be for the next term. The count once again confirmed the dominance of the centre-left in the big cities, with the exception of Trieste.

All eyes were fixed on the country’s capital, Rome, where Roberto Gualtieri (centre-left) grabbed the very comfortable 60.2% of the votes to become the city’s next mayor. That means that the right-wing parties and the populist 5Stars will go into opposition in the City Hall.

The capital’s mayor-elect is 55 years old and is seen as a safe choice, with previous government experience as an economy minister and also a stint as the head of the European Parliament’s economic affairs committee. He will now have the task to resolve many of the issues plaguing the Eternal City in the modern age, such as disrepair, lack of maintenance and patchy municipal services – notably in the field of waste collection.

What about Turin and Trieste?

Two other big cities (Turin and Trieste) hosted electoral battlegrounds on Monday, and the results there went largely as expected by analysts.

Italy’s automotive capital, Turin, much like Rome, was also governed by a female mayor from the anti-establishment 5Star Movement but that is not the case anymore. The centre-left also swooped into victory there, with Stefano Lo Russo claiming the mayoral seat.

“This electoral result is an important outcome that invites us to be very responsible. It had been so many years that the center-left hadn't been so united and capable of teaming up. On Monday, 25 October, I will announce the council. I will take this time to choose the best people,” declared Lo Russo after his victory, as quoted by La Stampa. Hе took 59.2% of the votes, compared to his centre-right rival Paolo Damilano’s 40.8%.

Trieste, located in the northeast corner of Italy, was the only consolation prize for the conservative-minded voters and politicians, after last week Milan, Naples and Bologna were also confirmed as centre-left strongholds. Roberto Dipiazza, supported by a coalition composed of Matteo Salvini’s Lega and Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, among others, won 51.29% of the votes.

The second round of elections was also characterized by a lower turnout among voters, barely reaching 44%. The first round drew in 52.67% of those eligible to cast a ballot.