Italian local elections, 2010

Italian local elections, 2010

From March to June 2010

1,002 city mayors and councils and 12 provincial presidents and councils   First party Second party   Leader Silvio Berlusconi Pier Luigi Bersani Party People of Freedom Democratic Party Leader since 26 January 1994 25 October 2009 Comuni 44[1] 52[1] Comuni +/– 16 12 Provinces 6 7 Provinces +/– 4 4

The 2010 Italian local elections were held on different dates; most on 29–30 March (second round on 11–12 April) oncurrently with the Regional elections.

In Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol the elections were held on 15–16 May with a second ballot on 30–31 May; all of 321 comuni of the region voted for a new mayor and a new City Council.

In Aosta Valley the elections were held on 23–24 May in the city of Aosta.

On May 30–31 the elections were held in Sicily and Sardinia.

In Italy, direct elections were held in comuni and provinces: in each comune were chosen mayor and members of the City Council, in each province were chosen president and members of the Provincial Council.

Citizens living in Italy who were 18 or over on election day were entitled to vote in the local council elections.

Voting System

The voting system is used for all mayoral elections in Italy, in the city with a population higher than 15,000. Under this system 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. This gives a result whereby the winning candidate may be able to claim majority support, although it is not guaranteed.

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.^[2]

Provinces

Only 12 provinces were up for election. The elections was for a new provincial president and members of the Provincial Council. Four presidents were elected in March. Below the results of each candidate and coalition on the first and second round.

Province		Center-right %		Center-left %
Imperia	59.06		32.52
Viterbo	54.65		32.12
L'Aquila	53.42		45.32
Caserta	64.38		30.58

Then on May was elected all the provincial president and Provincial Council of Sardinia. Below the results of each candidate and coalition on the first and second round.

Province		Center-left %		Center-right %
Cagliari	33.81 - 52.42		46.53 - 47.58
Nuoro	32.47 - 51.30		38.36 - 48.70
Sassari	50.70		41.08
Oristano	29.71		59.74
Carbonia-Iglesias	50.35		45.23
Medio Campidano	55.13		39.37
Ogliastra	41.07 - 50.99		43.76 - 49.01
Olbia-Tempio	39.35		53.16

Results

City councils

City		PdL		PD		LN		SEL		IdV		UDC		Others
Venice	10		17		4		0		4		2		7
Mantua	14		9		6		1		1		0		4
Lecco	8		20		7		1		1		0		1
Lodi	8		14		6		0		1		0		10
Chieti	13		7		0		0		2		6		11
Matera	4		12		0		1		4		1		17
Vibo Valentia	18		3		0		1		0		2		15
Macerata	8		14		0		4		2		2		7
Andria	13		4		0		2		1		0		17
Sassari	6		13		0		2		2		3		13
Iglesias	4		6		0		1		0		8		9
Nuoro	4		13		0		2		1		2		15

Mayoral election

Capital cities

Aosta

The election was held on 23 May 2010.

Candidate		Coalition	First round
			Votes	%
	Bruno Giordano	UV-SA-PdL-FA-LN	10,858	59.72
	Carlo Curtaz	ALPE-Civic List	4,822	26.52
	Michele Monteleone	PD-IdV	2,502	13.76

Venice

The election was held on 28 and 29 March 2010.

There were nine candidates (two supported by important coalition and seven supported by different civic lists); the most important candidates were Giorgio Orsoni and the minister Renato Brunetta, who tried for a second time to become the mayor (in fact he was candidate for this position in 2000). Giorgio Orsoni was supported by a center-left coalition formed by Democratic Party, Italy of Values, Union of the Centre, Communist Refoundation Party and the Italian Socialist Party, Renato Brunetta was supported by a center-right coalition formed by The People of Freedom and Lega Nord.

Orsoni won the election in the first round making did not go to vote for a possible second round, as it has happened in the elections of 2000 and of 2005.

Candidate		Coalition	First round
			Votes	%
	Giorgio Orsoni	PD-IdV-UDC-PSI-FdS	75,403	51.13
	Renato Brunetta	PdL-LN-others	62,833	42.61
	Marco Gavagnin	M5S	4,608	3.12
	Michele Boato	Radicals-Greens	1,677	1.14
	Alfredo Scibilia	Civic List	1,272	1.05
	Others	-	1,672	1.13

Source: Ministry of the Interior

Notes

1. Only comuni with a population higher than 15,000 inhabitants.
2. The compactness of the minority is part of the goals that the law intends to achieve, avoiding fragmentation to establish a fruitful counterweight to the majority: Buonomo, Giampiero (2001). "Provinciali, seggi ai perdenti con il criterio delle coalizioni". Diritto&Giustizia edizione online.  – via Questia (subscription required)