Politics of Emilia-Romagna

The politics of Emilia-Romagna, a region of Italy, takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democracy, whereby the President of Regional Government is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Regional Government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Legislative Assembly.

The region has long been a stronghold of the Italian Communist Party and its successors, from the Democratic Party of the Left to the present-day Democratic Party, and is part of the so-called "Red belt", along with Tuscany, Marche and Umbria.[1][2][3]

Executive branch

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The Regional Government (Giunta Regionale) is presided by the President of the Region (Presidente della Regione), who is elected for a five-year term, and is composed by the President, the Ministers (Assessori), who are currently 12, including a vice president and one Under-Secretary for in President's office.[4]

List of presidents

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N. Portrait President Term of office Tenure
(Years and days)
Party Composition Legislature
1 Guido Fanti
(1925–2012)
28 July
1970
22 July
1975
5 years, 298 days Italian Communist Party PCIPSIUP I
(1970)
22 July
1975
21 May
1976
PCI II
(1975)
2 Sergio Cavina
(1929–1977)
21 May
1976
22 December
1977 †
1 year, 215 days Italian Communist Party PCIPSI
3 Lanfranco Turci
(1940–)
7 January
1978
25 July
1980
9 years, 127 days Italian Communist Party
25 July
1980
16 July
1985
PCIPDUP III
(1980)
16 July
1985
28 April
1987
PCI IV
(1985)
4 Luciano Guerzoni
(1935–2017)
28 April
1987
24 June
1990
3 years, 57 days Italian Communist Party
5 Enrico Boselli
(1957–)
24 June
1990
5 July
1993
3 years, 11 days Italian Socialist Party PCI/PDSPSIPRIPSDI V
(1990)
6 Pier Luigi Bersani
(1951–)
5 July
1993
9 June
1995
2 years, 328 days Democratic Party of the Left PDSPSIPRIPSDI
9 June
1995
28 May
1996
PDSPPIPdDFdV VI
(1995)
7 Antonio La Forgia
(1944–2022)
5 June
1996
22 February
1999
2 years, 262 days Democratic Party of the Left PDSPPIPdDFdV
8 Vasco Errani
(1955–)
3 March
1999
16 April
2000
15 years, 127 days Democrats of the Left DSPPIPdDFdV
16 April
2000
5 April
2005
DSPRCDemFdVPdCI VII
(2000)
5 April
2005
29 March
2010
Democratic Party PDPRCIdVFdVPdCI VIII
(2005)
29 March
2010
8 July
2014
PDSELPdCIIdV IX
(2010)
Simonetta Saliera
(1956– )
8 July
2014
24 November
2014
139 days Democratic Party PDSELPdCIIdV
9 Stefano Bonaccini
(1967–)
24 November
2014
28 February
2020
9 years, 231 days Democratic Party PDSEL X
(2014)
28 February
2020
12 July
2024
PDSIIVEV XI
(2020)
Irene Priolo
(1974– )
12 July
2024
13 December
2024
154 days Democratic Party PDSIIVEV
10 Michele De Pascale
(1985– )
13 December
2024
Incumbent 8 days Democratic Party PDAVSM5S XII
(2024)


Legislative branch

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The Legislative Assembly of Emilia-Romagna (Assemblea Legislativa dell'Emilia-Romagna) is composed of 50 members. 40 councillors are elected in provincial constituencies by proportional representation using the largest remainder method with a Droop quota and open lists, while 10 councillors (elected in bloc) come from a "regional list", including the President-elect. One seat is reserved for the candidate who comes second. If a coalition wins more than 50% of the total seats in the council with PR, only 5 candidates from the regional list will be chosen and the number of those elected in provincial constituencies will be 45. If the winning coalition receives less than 40% of votes special seats are added to the council to ensure a large majority for the President's coalition.[5]

The council is elected for a five-year term, but, if the President suffers a vote of no confidence, resigns or dies, under the simul stabunt, simul cadent clause introduced in 1999 (literally they will stand together or they will fall together), also the council is dissolved and a snap election is called.[6]

Local government

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Provinces

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Emilia-Romagna is divided in nine provinces, which are a traditional form of local administration in the region.

Socialist and communist ideas had an early diffusion in quite all the provinces around World War I. After the Fascist parenthesis, left-wing parties found their strongholds in Emilia-Romagna, also known as the "red region of Italy".

Province Inhabitants[7] President Party Election
Bologna 1,012,535 Matteo Lepore Democratic Party 2021
Ferrara 346,034 Gianni Michele Padovani Italian Socialist Party 2021
Forlì-Cesena 394,654 Enzo Lattuca Democratic Party 2021
Modena 702,983 Fabio Braglia Democratic Party 2023
Parma 451,666 Andrea Massari Democratic Party 2021
Piacenza 286,731 Monica Patelli Independent (Democratic Party) 2022
Ravenna 390,433 Michele De Pascale Democratic Party 2021
Reggio Emilia 532,102 Giorgio Zanni Democratic Party 2018
Rimini 338,035 Jamil Sadegholvaad Democratic Party 2022

Municipalities

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Tuscany is also divided in 331 comuni (municipalities), which have even more history, having been established in the Middle Ages when they were the main places of government. 17 comuni (9 provincial capitals) have more than 35,000 inhabitants.[7]

Provincial capitals

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Municipality Inhabitants[7] Mayor Party Election
Bologna (list) 390,198 Matteo Lepore Democratic Party 2020
Ferrara (list) 132,125 Alan Fabbri Lega Emilia 2019
Forlì (list) 117,892 Gian Luca Zattini Independent (Lega Emilia) 2019
Modena (list) 185,045 Massimo Mezzetti Democratic Party 2024
Parma (list) 197,132 Michele Guerra Italia in Comune 2022
Piacenza (list) 103,398 Katia Tarasconi Democratic Party 2022
Ravenna (list) 158,503 Michele De Pascale Democratic Party 2021
Reggio Emilia (list) 172,196 Marco Massari Democratic Party 2024
Rimini (list) 150,013 Jamil Sadegholvaad Democratic Party 2021

Other municipalities with more than 35,000 inhabitants

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Municipality Inhabitants[7] Mayor Party Election
Cesena 97,216 Enzo Lattuca Democratic Party 2022
Carpi 71,281 Riccardo Righi Democratic Party 2024
Imola 69,924 Marco Panieri Democratic Party 2020
Faenza 58,863 Massimo Isola Democratic Party 2020
Sassuolo 40,863 Matteo Mesini Democratic Party 2024
Casalecchio di Reno 36,509 Matteo Ruggeri Democratic Party 2024
Cento 35,485 Edoardo Accorsi Democratic Party 2021
Riccione 35,044 Daniela Angelini Democratic Party 2022

Parties and elections

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Latest regional election

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In the latest regional election, which took place on 17–18 November 2024, Michele De Pascale (Democratic Party) was elected President of Emilia-Romagna by a landslide.

17–18 November 2024 Emilia-Romagna regional election results
Candidates Votes % Seats Parties Votes % Seats
Michele De Pascale 922,150 56.77 1 Democratic Party 641,704 42.94 27
Greens and Left Alliance 79,236 5.30 3
Civics with De Pascale for President 57,400 3.84 2
Five Star Movement 53,075 3.55 1
Future Emilia-Romagna 25,729 1.72
Total 857,144 57.36 33
Elena Ugolini 650,935 40.07 1 Brothers of Italy 354,833 23.74 11
Forza Italia 83,998 5.62 2
League 78,734 5.27 1
Civic Network – Ugolini for President 76,988 5.15 1
Total 594,553 39.79 15
Federico Serra 31,483 1.94 Emilia-Romagna for Peace, Environment and Labour 27,337 1.83
Luca Teodori 19,831 1.22 Loyalty Coherence Truth 15,341 1.03
Total candidates 1,624,399 100.00 2 Total parties 1,494,375 100.00 48
Blank and invalid votes 35,643
Registered voters/turnout 3,576,427 46.42
Source: Ministry of the Interior – Election in Emilia-Romagna


References

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  1. ^ Ceccarini, Luigi; Newell, James L. (2019). The Italian General Election of 2018: Italy in Uncharted Territory. Springer. p. 252. ISBN 9783030136178. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  2. ^ Newell, James L. (2010). The Politics of Italy: Governance in a Normal Country. Cambridge University Press. p. 229. ISBN 9781139788892. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  3. ^ Barbieri, Giovanni (2012). "The Northern League in the 'Red Belt' of Italy" (PDF). Bulletin of Italian Politics. 4 (2). University of Glasgow: 277–294. ISSN 1759-3077. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  4. ^ Giunta - ERMES Regione Emilia-Romagna Archived 13 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ La Repubblica – Regional electoral law
  6. ^ "Regional Council of Lombardy – 1999 Constitutional law" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  7. ^ a b c d "Bilancio demografico anno 2018 (June 2018)". ISTAT. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
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