Alessandra Todde, 55, has just given the Italian opposition the first joy in a long time. The center-left candidate in the regional elections on the island of Sardinia has won by a handful of votes over her main opponent, Paolo Truzzu, who headed the list of the right-wing coalition. It is, therefore, the first significant electoral defeat for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni since she came to power in Italy a year and a half ago.
With the scrutiny almost over, Todde, supported by the alliance between the 5 Star Movement (M5E) and the Democratic Party (PD), has obtained 45.4% of the votes, while the conservative Truzzu, mayor of the city of Cagliari, has slowed down by 45%. Therefore, the right, at the head of most Italian regions, will lose control of the island, which until now was governed by President Christian Solinas, an independent politician who had to resign due to a corruption investigation.
The setback for Meloni is notable, because the premier had imposed on the coalition a candidate from her party, Brothers of Italy, despite the disagreements of Matteo Salvini, leader of the League, who had criticized the mayor of Cagliari and wanted Solinas to continue. being the governor of the island. “It will not be a result of national relevance, but the signal is unmistakable. For the first time since winning the general elections in September 2022, the right sees defeat,” wrote Corriere della Sera analyst Massimo Franco. “And, at least politically, Giorgia Meloni loses more than her allies,” he analyzes, highlighting that it was the premier who chose Truzzu.
The results in Sardinia raise questions just under three months before the European elections, a path that is expected to be smooth for the prime minister, who continues to lead all national polls. They also show that the pull of the leader of the Brothers of Italy is not that of her party, always accused of the fragility of its ruling class, something that could push Meloni to decide to run as a candidate in the European elections to participate in the campaign, and then resign from being a MEP.
The left has loudly celebrated Todde's victory, hoping that it will be the first sign of the changing winds in Italy. Both the general secretary of the PD, Elly Schlein, and the leader of the M5E, Giuseppe Conte, had traveled to the island to support their campaign. “The center-left has not taken a region from the right since 2015. Perhaps the path is the right one. One thing is certain: there is an alternative,” commented Schlein, hoping that the results of the regional elections in Abruzzo will be repeated in two weeks, where the candidate is also supported by several opposition parties.
A close collaborator of Conte, Todde is a firm defender of the union of left-wing parties to be able to stand up to Meloni's right. “I am the first female president of Sardinia,” claimed the winner, who was vice minister of Mario Draghi's government. It remains to be seen if her victory can boost this unity of the left in the rest of the country, and whether this can represent a true alternative to Meloni's push in Italy.
