“It will be our Saxony,” said the leader of National Future, Roberto Vannacci. But that was not the case. In the by-elections for the Chamber of Deputies in Reggio Calabria, in what was described as the first (mini) electoral test In view of the much more important general elections of 2027, the right is holding firm despite the votes gained by the party of the former general, who has not made any breakthrough but has shown that it could be an obstacle in view of next year's political elections. Fn, at its first test at the polls, get to 9%, just above the level indicated by national polls, around 8%. And while this percentage isn't a problem in Calabria, next year could be a different story.
Roscioli leads, Forza Italia rejoices: “No Vannacci effect”
The Roman lawyer Fabio Roscioli, candidate of the centre-right and treasurer of Forza Italia, won the by-elections for the Chamber In the Reggio Calabria constituency, vacated by Francesco Cannizzaro, of the same party, who resigned after the mayoral election in the capital city last May. The first to rejoice is the governor. Roberto Occhiuto who published a post on X just minutes before polls opened. "Victory!" wrote the governor, posting a video of Francesco Cannizzaro looking at his phone, then standing up in celebration, and Occhiuto saying "we won," along with center-right candidate Roscioli and Forza Italia senator Lotito. Soon after, Forza Italia senator and vice president of the Senate, Licia Ronzulli, and Forza Italia senatorial president, Stefania Craxi, joined in the celebrations. "Fabio Roscioli's clear victory is an important result. We were confident because the center-right is in excellent health in Calabria," said Craxi, according to whom "the result obtained by Futuro Nazionale is more attributable to Giannetta's retreating consensus than to a presumed 'Vannacci effect' that simply didn't exist. In Reggio Calabria, the space for Futuro Nazionale simply didn't open up. Therefore, our congratulations and best wishes go to Fabio Roscioli."
In the middle of the afternoon, the satisfied comment also arrives from Antonio Tajani"Forza Italia wins overwhelmingly in the Reggio Calabria by-election, leading the center-right with our candidate Fabio Roscioli," the leader emphasizes, thanking "all those who worked for this extraordinary result, starting with Roberto Occhiuto and Ciccio Cannizzaro." "And we welcome Roscioli to our group in the Chamber of Deputies, who will best represent the concerns of the people of Reggio Calabria and Calabria in the coming months," he adds. "This confirms," the Deputy Prime Minister continues, "our party's strength in the region, its roots among the people, and its ability to attract citizens and groups to serious, shared, and popular ideas. We are and continue to confirm ourselves, also in these elections, as a pillar of the center-right that Berlusconi created, founded, and led to success. Welcome Fabio, and forward, Forza Italia."
Partial data: Vannacci at 9%
The polling stations for the second and final day of voting closed at 15pm. Voting involved a total of 71 municipalities and the partial data now leave no room for doubt about Roscioli's victory.
After 263 sections counted out of 487, the centre-right candidate won 53,6% of the votes, while the centre-left candidate Frank Benedetto is at 36%. However, everyone's eyes are focused on the Domenico Giannetta, former group leader of Forza Italia in the region and now candidate of Futuro Nazionale, who got 9%Francesco Toscano, of Sovereign Popular Democracy, at 1,32%.
The turnout
At 15 today the turnout is 22,34% compared to 49,4% in the previous 2022 elections. The Calabria Region has released data that put the decline into perspective. While the decline compared to the 2022 general election is 27,1%, a comparison with the 2023 Monza by-election shows a 3,1% increase. If, instead of calculating the total number of voters, only those residing in Italy are considered, the turnout rises to approximately 26,9%.
