On Monday, centre-left candidate Alessandra Todde declared triumph over her centre-right counterpart Paolo Truzzu, even as a few votes remained uncounted.
Formerly a deputy president of the left-wing populist 5-Star Movement (M5S) and ex-deputy industry minister, Todde represented the ‘broad field’ alliance between M5S and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD).
Todde held a narrow lead of 0.4% over Truzzu, securing 45.4% of the vote compared to Truzzu’s 45%, with most polling stations reporting. Truzzu conceded defeat, acknowledging that the gap was insurmountable.
“With the data we possess, our victory is looming. I am the first female governor of Sardinia,” Todde asserted confidently, her lead standing at 0.4%.
Despite Truzzu initially leading in polls, the final tally depicted a narrower margin, with the centre-right alliance garnering approximately 49% of the vote and the ‘broad field’ securing around 43%.
A prominent member of Premier Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party and mayor of Cagliari, Truzzu conceded defeat, acknowledging the unassailable gap.
“This morning, I called Alessandra Todde and congratulated her. We really lost by a hair, about two thousand votes out of 750,000 Sardinians who went to vote.”
FdI looked like becoming top party by about a point from the PD, with the M5S third.
Tech magnate, local hero and former Democratic Party (PD) governor Renato Soru was third with 8.7% and the last, leftist and regionalist candidate, Lucia Chessa, was heading for 1%.
Barometer for national politics
The Sardinia election served as a barometer for the ‘broad field’ alliance’s viability against the dominant right-wing coalition comprising FdI, the League, and Forza Italia (FI).
PD leader Elly Schlein and M5S leader Giuseppe Conte were present in Cagliari, expressing optimism about the results. Schlein remarked, “The wind is changing, although some people would not have bet on this result.”
The election underscored the shifting political dynamics within Sardinia and highlighted the emergence of the ‘broad field’ alliance as a formidable contender in the region’s politics.
