The centre-right party celebrates in Matera with Nicoletti as mayor, and the centre-left party with Bitetti wins in Taranto.

Voting took place for the administrative elections in 7 municipalities in Sardinia (Nuoro, Oniferi, Monastir, Cardedu, Goni, Luras, and Soleminis), as well as a runoff in 13 cities (including Matera and Taranto).

In Taranto, Bitetti of the centre-left wins. In Matera, Nicoletti of the centre-right beats Cifarelli. Calcinari elected mayor of Sant’Elpidio a Mare. Di Nardo is the new mayor of Ortona. In Lombardy, the centre-left wins in both Saronno and Cernusco.

As for the Island, the possible second round is only planned for Nuoro (the only municipality with more than 15,000 inhabitants) and will be held on Sunday, 22 June, and Monday, 23 June.

In Matera, the significant surprise is the emergence of Antonio Nicoletti, candidate of the united centre-right, who strengthens his leadership in the Basilicata Region, headed by Governor Vito Bardi (Forza Italia). With 52% of the votes, compared to 37% in the first round, the former general director of the Apt Lucana has become the new mayor of the city of the Sassi.

The big disappointment is for the centre-left of Roberto Cifarelli (regional councillor of the PD, but without the symbol of the Dems), who was ahead in the first round (with 43.5%) and in the second at 48%, but was condemned by the inability to consolidate the broad field.

Nicoletti, the tourism manager, wins the mayoral election in Matera. A 51-year-old engineer, he was the general director of Apt Basilicata.

His career began at the age of 24 with an appointment to the Board of Directors of municipal pharmacies. Since 2005, he has been a city councillor without interruption, holding positions as assessor with responsibilities for labour policies and municipal police and serving two terms as president of the City Council. He was also a provincial councillor and president of the ATC (Territorial Hunting Area). It was in his role as president of the City Council that he played a central role in the crisis that led to the early end of the last Melucci administration. After being removed from office, he spoke of a “hostile act and in contempt of the institutions”, starting a crisis that culminated in the motion of no confidence signed by 17 councillors in February 2025.

Taranto said Piero Bitetti.

After a long, tense election campaign marked by intense political opposition, the centre-left candidate, Bitetti, wins the tricolour sash by beating Francesco Tacente, the civic lawyer supported by the united centre-right runoff. The city of the two seas chooses continuity, confirming for the ninth time, from 1993 to the present, a centre-left or similar administration. Bitetti, a member of ‘Con’, former councillor and former president of the city council, obtained over 54% of the preferences (37.39% in the first round) and managed to build a broad consensus area around his candidacy, supported by eight lists including Pd, Azione, Avs, Demos, Unire Taranto and ceviche. This wide support signifies a unity in the political landscape of Taranto.

Bitetti, the new mayor of Taranto, is 51 years old and is one of the most experienced figures in city politics.

Bitetti, the new mayor of Taranto, is 51 years old and is one of the most experienced figures in city politics. His candidacy, an expression of the centre-left, was supported by a coalition composed of the Democratic Party, ‘Con’, Demos, DC and civic lists. Married to a public employee and the father of two children, he also has a past as a Navy officer, a degree obtained in adulthood, and a job in the family business. With 27 years of commitment to public life behind him, Bitetti was the most experienced candidate among the six in the running, providing a sense of stability and experience for the future governance of Taranto.

According to the final turnout data, in the 13 municipalities where the mayor is elected, 51.07% of voters participated, down from the first round when almost 59% voted. In Sardinia, however, turnout was 61.9%