The right-wing coalition led by the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni won the Venice municipal election, according to projections published Monday, thus retaining control of one of the country's most symbolic cities.
The center-right candidate, Simone Venturini, is estimated to have obtained nearly 51% of the vote, far ahead of his main center-left rival, who received approximately 39%. This result would allow him to avoid a second round.
This victory represents a political relief for the ruling coalition after the defeat suffered in the referendum on justice held in March, considered the most significant setback for the Meloni government since it came to power in 2022.
The municipal elections covered more than 600 Italian cities and towns, but Venice was the most closely watched political battleground. Polls published before the election, however, showed the center-left with a slight lead.
The lagoon city, which has been run by the right for about ten years, has recently been at the center of political and cultural debates, particularly around the Russian presence at the Venice Art Biennale.
With less than a year to go before the next Italian general elections, this result is seen as an encouraging sign for Giorgia Meloni's governing coalition, which is seeking to consolidate its position after several months of internal political tensions and criticism from the opposition.
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