Administrative elections 2023, voting until 3 pm. Schlein attempts to reconquer the red cities, Meloni aims for Ancona. Declining attendance

Ballot boxes are open in 595 Italian municipalities, where it will be possible to vote again today from 7 to 15 in this round of administrative elections in which 4,587,877 voters are called to vote, of which 402,967 abroad, distributed over 5,426 sections.

In particular, voting takes place in 13 provincial capitals, of which one regional capital (Ancona) and 12 provincial capitals (Brescia, Sondrio, Treviso, Vicenza, Imperia, Massa, Pisa, Siena, Terni, Latina, Teramo, Brindisi).

The eventual run-off round is scheduled for 28 and 29 May. The turnout at 11pm yesterday evening was 46.39% of those entitled, down from 59.89% in previous consultations.

An important test to measure the consensus of the political forces and, above all, their level of compactness on the territories.

Split progressive front, Schlein seeks the Udine effect

Despite the change of secretariat in the Democratic Party, the yellow-red scheme does not take off. Dems and M5s will only go hand in hand in 6 out of 17 capitals. These are Brindisi, Catania, Pisa, Teramo, Syracuse and Latina. While Pd and Third Pole (or what’s left of it) will be united – without M5s – in just three capitals: Ancona, Vicenza, Brescia.

Any agreements could arrive on the eve of the ballots. A scheme already tested in Udine and which led the candidate supported by Pd and Third pole to overturn the result of the first round thanks to the contribution of the pentastellato candidate, who finished third in the first round.

Compact centre-right, Massa the only exception

Unit. This is the meaning of the photo from Ancona – which the centre-right is trying to reconquer – with the leaders on stage and the video message from Silvio Berlusconi from the San Raffaelle hospital. The government coalition also holds sway in the territories. With very rare exceptions, the Brothers of Italy, Lega and Forza Italia will present themselves united in the main cities for the vote. The center-right presents the same candidate in 16 out of 17 capitals. The only exception concerns Massa, where FdI will support an independent candidate.

Pd tries to reconquer the red cities

Massa, Pisa and Siena: three strongholds of red Tuscany passed to the center-right thanks to the sovereign wave that swept through Italy in 2018. Now the Democratic Party is trying to take back part of the booty.

Possibility of redemption also in Siena, where the outgoing mayor Louis DeMossi (chosen by Matteo Salvini himself in 2018) has decided not to reapply and support the man of Italia Viva Massimo Castagnini. Complicating the picture for the dem are the divisions in the center-left: not only the M5S, in Siena Action has also decided to run alone, breaking the alliance with the Renzians of Iv.

Different situation in Pisa. Here Pd and M5S, in support of Paul Martinelliwill present themselves together with the aim of parading the city to the centre-right of the outgoing mayor, the Northern League Michael Conti. The Third Pole, on the other hand, will go its own way.