The race of mayors in Sardinia is underway: only one list in 27 municipalities

The administrative meetings of June 12 have put the parties in difficulty. The long phase of restrictions due to Covid has slowed down political activity in the territories, and the result is that in 27 out of 65 municipalities only one list was presented. This means that a quorum of 40% must be reached for the vote to be valid. In the list of monolists it is surprising to see large and important municipalities such as Carloforte and Arzachena. Minus the little ones, who are still many: among others, Orune, Teti, Nurallao, Pimentel, Girasole, Lodine, Aidomaggiore, Seneghe, Zerfaliu, Florinas, Semestene.

The charge of the 1,800

The positive note is that, this time, lists were presented in all the centers called to the polls. Including Sorgono, who in the past went to meet the police station, and Semestene (143 inhabitants). Few women candidates for mayor: just 24 out of 109, 22%. Overall, between males and females, there are 1,790 candidates for municipal councils.

Test for the majority?

With only one provincial capital (Oristano) and two hundred thousand voters involved, it is hard to define the session as a test case for the majority that governs the Region. It is also true that Oristano and Selargius - the only two municipalities with more than fifteen thousand inhabitants, where a second round of ballot is therefore expected on June 26 - have always been strongholds of the center-right: even a victory not in the first round, or in any case not clear, it could be the indicator of something that is not working in the coalition which, on the other hand, has done everything to complicate life in the choice of Massimiliano Sanna (Riformatori) as candidate for mayor in Oristano . In the end, in fact, the negotiations overlapped those for the reshuffle in the Giunta, ending up being swallowed up in some way. On the front of the center-left Cinquestelle movement, two aspects should be highlighted. The first concerns the Democratic Party, which was forced to prepare these municipalities in the middle of the congressional commissioner, with all the resulting uncertainties on the actual roles of the party leaders also in the organization of the lists. The second is positive for the M5S which presented a list to Selargius and a number (of clear pentastellated reference) in Oristano: it was not obvious, given the traditional incompatibility of the movement with the administrative authorities.

"Everyone in trouble"

The leader of the M5S group in the Regional Council, Roberto Li Gioi, does not hide the satisfaction: "Having presented two lists means that we have managed to be present in two important centers of our Island". According to the councilor, "everyone has had difficulty making lists due to the lack of love among citizens for politics, linked to the fact that almost 50% of the electorate does not go to vote". Administrative test for the majority? "Any election is a test case," says Li Gioi, "Oristano is a city of the center-right and in any case it ends up, the signals must be taken into account". Even for the regional secretary of the Democratic Party Emanuele Cani "this round will be a test, because the council has not given great proof of itself so far. It is clear that it is more difficult to say for small municipalities, where everything is mixed up ». However, the dem is happy with the work done in the two centers with more than fifteen thousand inhabitants "where we have very competitive candidates from large coalitions", and where "those who conducted the consultations on behalf of the Democratic Party demonstrated their ability and brought home an important project ".

Optimistic center-right

The blue regional coordinator Ugo Cappellacci reminds us that “Forza Italia is a guarantee because every time it has administered a municipality it has shown competence, seriousness and the ability to innovate. With these credentials, our team comes to Selargius with our Gigi Concu and to Oristano with a team that expresses solid administrative qualities and that has always stood out for its proposals, ideas and for having always put the interests of the city before particular ones. ". The coordinator of Fratelli d'Italia, Antonella Zedda, says she is certain that "the center-right can win in the first round in Selargius and Oristano where FdI is very strong".

Roberto Murgia