Italy: centre-left wins Sardinia election
The candidate of the populist Movimiento 5 Stelle (M5S), Alessandra Todde, has narrowly won the regional election in Sardinia after securing 45.3 percent of the vote against the 45 percent of Paolo Truzzu, the candidate of the far-right Fratelli d'Italia. Todde was also backed by the social democratic Partito Democratico (PD). The election was seen as a test for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and was the first of five regional elections to be held this spring.
Painful return to reality for Meloni
The results force the governing coalition to reflect on its future, explains Corriere della Sera:
“The signal is unmistakable: for the first time since its victory in September 2022 the right has suffered a defeat – and what's more, against an alliance between PD-M5S and AVS [the Left Alliance] led by a M5S candidate. And, politically at least, Giorgia Meloni is losing more than just her allies, because she pushed through her candidate by liquidating the outgoing governor of Sardinia [Solinas was backed by Meloni's rival Salvini and was not allowed to run] and mobilised the entire government with a massive presence in the election campaign. This is a painful return to reality. Meloni and the majority must face a shake-up that may mean little in numerical terms but promises to force them and the entire coalition to radically revise their course.”
Let old wounds heal
Unity makes you stronger – this is the main takeaway for the PD and Cinque Stelle, stresses La Stampa:
“It is now possible, not to say desirable, for both sides to start reflecting on what the broad camp should become. On the real issue that could lead to a less episodic rapprochement between the two sides, and which needs to be clarified. For [M5S leader Giuseppe] Conte, the wound opened by the collapse of the yellow-red government in 2021 is still not healed. ... If the PD were to say once more that Conte is a 'very important point of reference for Italian progressives and democrats', a lot could change.”