The counting is going slowly in Basilicata, where on Sunday and Monday (until 15pm) voting was held to elect the governor and 20 regional councillors, but the center-right seems to be heading towards another victory. After reconfirming Marsilio in Abruzzo and having lost the Regionals in Sardinia, the governing parties are ready to celebrate their second success in a few months with the confirmation of the outgoing governor Vito Bardi (in the picture, ed). A success that is seen as a positive signal in view of the European elections scheduled for June. Debacle instead for the center-left, which pays for months of controversy and divisions, with Italia Viva and Action deciding to run with the centre-right.
For the moment, the only definitive data is that onturnout, equal to 49,8%, almost four points less than the 53,5% of 2019, when voting took place on a single day.
Basilicata: Bardi with a large advantage
When 22 sections out of 682 were scrutinized, based on data from the Interior Ministry, Vito Bardi seems to be heading towards victory and currently enjoys a large advantage: it is at 54,2%. The outgoing governor is the sole candidate of the centre-right, supported by Fratelli d'Italia, Lega, Forza Italia, Udc, Azione, Orgoglio Lucano, The real Basilicata.
The centre-left candidate follows Piero Marrese, stuck at 45,1%. Marrese is supported by Pd, 5 Star Movement, Basilicata common house, united Basilicata, Avs-Green Europe-Italian Left-Psi-La Basilicata possible. The candidate Eustachio Madness (Volt) is stuck at 0,96%.
The first reactions
Vito Bardi is not speaking for now, closed in the rooms of the La Primula hotel awaiting the evolution of the count. However, all the Forza Italia big names have already arrived from Rome, ready to celebrate the probable large victory. From the group leader in the Chamber, Paolo Barelli, to the Minister of Reforms and regional coordinator, Maria Elisabetta Alberta Casellati.
Its Minister Alberti Casellati, present at Vito Bardi's committee, she said she was "optimistic" about the result of the elections in Basilicata. The minister was the government representative most present in the electoral campaign of Bardi, Forza Italia's candidate for the presidency of the region.
“Caution, but it would seem that Basilicata, which has become the Ohio of Italian elections, is going in the right direction for the centre-right,” commented the group leader of Forza Italia in the Chamber, Paolo Barelli, speaking to journalists at Bardi's headquarters, who is heading for a clear victory.
However, the centre-left's comments are of a completely different tone. "I thank Piero Marrese because he fought a very difficult battle. We got there late. We arrived at this electoral appointment after having made many mistakes. Everything happened. I think the result is the effect of the errors that occurred in the composition of the coalition. With M5S there is a need to establish some rules that must always apply. We need to give ourselves a perimeter. We cannot, from time to time, decide differently", said the Vice President of the European Parliament, Pina Picierno, exponent of the Democratic Party.
“The polls are officially closed. Thank you all for your commitment, passion and extraordinary work. Now we await the results with confidence." she wrote in a Facebook post Piero Marrese, centre-left candidate for president of the Basilicata Region.
