By late afternoon, with just over a third of the polling stations counting, the winner in Sardinia's third-largest city was already assured, with more than 60% of the vote: Graziano Milia was once again elected mayor of Quartu.

This is his fourth term: the first from 1993 to 1997, the second from 1997 to 2001, the third from 2020 to 2026. In between, he served as president of the province of Cagliari and as director of the Fondazione di Sardegna (since 2014).

He's not celebrating yet; he's making calculations with his closest collaborators, and is granting his first interviews. They discuss the near future, his city's role in the metropolitan area, major projects yet to be completed, and the importance of culture for growth and development.

"Now we continue," he says. "We said Quartu's rebirth couldn't be stopped. We'll finish what we've started; it's about rooting this change and moving forward. New challenges await us. The priority? Facing the future."

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