Style No title or style Appointer Electorate of Florence Formation 27 April 1859 | Residence Palazzo Vecchio Inaugural holder Ferdinando Bartolommei | |
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Term length 5 years, renewable once | ||
The Mayor of Florence is an elected politician who, along with Florence’s City Council of 36 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Florence. The title is the equivalent of Lord Mayor in the meaning of an actual executive leader.
Contents
- Overview
- Grand Duchy of Tuscany 1781 1859
- Kingdom of Italy 1859 1946
- Republic of Italy 1946 present
- References
The office was created in 1781 by Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany.
The current mayor of Florence is Dario Nardella, a left-wing musician member of the Democratic Party.
Overview
According to the Italian Constitution, the Mayor of Florence is member of the Florence's City Council. Although the title Mayor is not held by the heads of the five boroughs of Florence, because they do not actually preside over self-governmental municipalities.
The Mayor is elected by the population of Florence. Citizens elect also the members of the City Council, which also controls Mayor's policy guidelines and is able to enforce his resignation by a motion of no confidence. The Mayor is entitled to appoint and release the members of his government.
Since 1995 the Mayor is elected directly by Florence's electorate: in all mayoral elections in Italy in cities with a population higher than 15,000 the voters express a direct choice for the mayor or an indirect choice voting for the party of the candidate's coalition. If no candidate receives at least 50% of votes, the top two candidates go to a second round after two weeks. The election of the City Council is based on a direct choice for the candidate with a preference vote: the candidate with the majority of the preferences is elected. The number of the seats for each party is determined proportionally.
The seat of the City Council is the city hall Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria.
Grand Duchy of Tuscany (1781-1859)
In 1781 was created the office of Annual Gonfaloniere of Florence who was appointed by the Grand Duke of Tuscany every year.
In 1809, during the period of the newborn Kingdom of Etruria, it was temporarily created the office of Maire of Florence.
In 1815 the office of Gonfaloniere of Florence was restored.
Kingdom of Italy (1859-1946)
In 1859, the nascent Kingdom of Italy created the office of the Mayor of Florence (Sindaco di Firenze), chosen by the City council. In 1926, the Fascist dictatorship abolished mayors and City councils, replacing them with an authoritarian Podestà chosen by the National Fascist Party.
Republic of Italy (1946-present)
From 1946 to 1995, the Mayor of Florence was chosen by the City council.
Since 1995, enacting a new law on local administrations (1993), the Mayor of Florence is chosen by popular election, originally every four, and since 1999 every five years.