 | ||
A number of elections for the renewal of both municipal councils and mayors were held in Italy on May 28 and 29 2006. Notably, these election regarded the four biggest cities in the country, Rome, Milan, Naples and Turin. Other relevant cities where municipal elections were held included Cagliari, Varese, Novara, Ravenna, Rimini, Ancona, Siena, Salerno and Catanzaro.
Contents
Rome
Incumbent mayor Walter Veltroni, of The Union ran for a second mandate.
The House of Freedoms, which initially considered not to present a unique candidate, in fact proposed the unitary candidacy of Gianni Alemanno, prominent member of the National Alliance and Minister for Agriculture in the second Berlusconi cabinet; before that, both Mario Baccini of the UDC, Minister for Public Function in the Berlusconi cabinet, and Member of the European Parliament Alfredo Antoniozzi of Forza Italia considered the candidacy. There are also twelve other minor candidates.
Veltroni, member and former secretary of the Democrats of the Left, as well as former editor-in-chief of newspaper L'Unità , won the Mayor office in 2001, after having defeated Antonio Tajani of Forza Italia in the ballot round.
A majority of pollsters predicted an easy victory for Veltroni in the first electoral round. [1]
Milan
Since incumbent mayor Gabriele Albertini of the House of Freedoms completed his second mandate, as Italian law does not allow more than two consecutive mandates, his coalition had to nominate a different candidate, Letizia Moratti, currently Minister for School and University in the Berlusconi cabinet. She faced Bruno Ferrante of The Union, former city prefect, chosen after a primary election which saw also Nobel prize Dario Fo to compete in it. Some other candidates considered the candidacy, notably Ombretta Colli, former president of the Province of Milan.
Differently than Rome, the Milan election was thought to be characterized by a close race between the two main opponents. [2]
Naples
In the Campanian capital city, and largest city in Southern Italy, incumbent mayor Rosa Russo Jervolino of The Union competed for another mandate. She faced Franco Malvano of the House of Freedoms, as well as a number of minor competitors, of which Marco Rossi Doria was considered the most important one. Pollsters predicted Iervolino to be clearly first-placed in the election. [3]
Turin
Sergio Chiamparino, centre-left incumbent mayor elected in 2001, competed for another mandate. The centre-right mayoral candidate was Rocco Buttiglione, former Minister and MEP, as well as prominent member of the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats. Seven other minor candidates ran in the election.
Rome
Source: City of Rome
Milan
Source: City of Milan, La Repubblica.it
Naples
Source: City of Naples
Turin
Source: City of Turin
Other provincial capital cities
Cities where a centre-left candidate was elected as mayor are indicated with red; cities where a centre-right candidate was elected are indicated with blue, and cities where a second round is needed are indicated with gray.
Source: La Repubblica.it