With a margin of fewer than 10,000 votes—291,093 to 282,669, or 48.77% to 47.36%—center-right candidate and Genoa Mayor Marco Bucci has won the Liguria regional election, narrowly defeating center-left challenger Andrea Orlando. Now set to become regional president, Bucci emphasized his commitment to staying connected with Ligurians, saying he would be a “mayor of the region.” Reflecting on his brief 45-day campaign, he acknowledged the high-stakes finale but credited early projections for accurately predicting the outcome. While Bucci lost support in his hometown of Genoa, he attributed it to “the many ongoing construction projects, which often cause some discontent.”
Andrea Orlando, representing the center-left, attributed his defeat partly to the disunity within the coalition, criticizing what he described as a “lack of discipline” that favored the ready mobilization of the center-right under Giorgia Meloni’s leadership. He lamented that an overly “pluralistic” alliance could at times be counterproductive, as demonstrated in this election. Orlando also expressed regret over the decision of the Communist Refoundation Party to run independently, potentially diverting about 5,000 votes that could have altered the race outcome. Despite the loss, he personally congratulated Bucci on his victory, noting that the mayor’s win relied heavily on the right-leaning votes in Imperia and the remaining loyalists of former president Giovanni Toti.
Amidst post-election discussions, Matteo Renzi, leader of Italia Viva, criticized Giuseppe Conte for his exclusionary approach towards the center-left coalition in Liguria, particularly his rejection of Italia Viva’s involvement. Renzi pointed out that even his own vote count in previous elections might have been enough to sway the outcome. He argued that the defeat highlighted a broader lesson about the importance of centrist alliances, alluding to previous similar results in other regions, such as Basilicata.
Giuseppe Conte of the Five Star Movement responded sharply to Renzi’s comments, dismissing them as overly focused on numbers and lacking in political substance. Conte argued that attempting alliances with Renzi would have only further alienated Five Star voters. He emphasized that his approach was aimed at energizing the Ligurian electorate, an effort he claimed would have been undermined by inclusion of Italia Viva.
In response to the divisive aftermath, Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein urged opposition forces to use the election result as a catalyst for unity rather than infighting. Schlein emphasized that her party had refrained from engaging in conflicts with other opposition groups, maintaining focus on the common objective of defeating the right-wing coalition.
