Marco Bucci Leads in Liguria Gubernatorial Race: A Crucial Test for Italian Politics
In the early projections of the Liguria gubernatorial race, center-right candidate Marco Bucci has taken a lead over his center-left opponent, Andrea Orlando. Initial results from SWG for La7 show Bucci at 49% against Orlando's 47.5%, while another Opinio poll conducted for Rai indicates a narrower lead for Bucci, at 49.8% to 46.5%. A subsequent projection by SWG for La7 suggests Bucci maintains his advantage with 49.6% compared to Orlando's 47.3%.
Marco Bucci, a two-term incumbent mayor of Genoa, is facing off against Andrea Orlando, a prominent figure in the Democratic Party (PD) and a former minister of justice and environment. This election is being closely watched as a pivotal moment for Italy's national government and opposition ahead of additional key races in Umbria and Emilia-Romagna scheduled for November 17-18.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is keen on winning Liguria and securing Umbria in a bid for a 2-1 victory across these three contests. The outcome of this election will also serve as a significant barometer for the broader center-left alliance, which includes the PD, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), and various left-wing and centrist factions.
However, this coalition faces challenges, as former PD leader Matteo Renzi's centrist Italia Viva has been excluded due to a veto imposed by M5S leader Giuseppe Conte. Despite this current exclusion, it is anticipated that Renzi will ultimately be allowed back into the alliance, which may be necessary for the center-left to mount a serious challenge against the ruling coalition in the upcoming general elections, which are slated to occur no later than 2027.
Bucci is backed by Meloni's ruling coalition, which consists of her right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI), the League led by Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, and the center-right Forza Italia (FI) party under Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
Looking back at previous regional elections, the center-left has found mixed results; while they secured a victory in Sardinia, they faltered in Piedmont, Basilicata, and Abruzzo, losing to their center-right counterparts. The center-left's failure to unify in the 2022 general elections against Meloni's alliance highlighted the precarious nature of their coalition efforts, plagued by intersecting leadership ambitions that have stymied progress both regionally and nationally.
As the Liguria gubernatorial election unfolds, both parties and their supporters will be watching intently, as the results could signify a significant shift in Italy's political landscape moving forward.
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