A German-born individual is poised for a run-off election as the potential mayor of Florence.
Beginning in the afternoon on Monday, the ballot count ensued. If the current figures are accurate, neither Funaro nor Schmidt will attain a majority, resulting in a runoff scheduled for June 23 and 24.
Schmidt, a recent Italian nationalized in December, has gained support from the extreme right-wing party Fratelli d'Italia, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her allied partners. The 56-year-old previously served as director at the renowned Uffizi Museum in Tuscany's capital.
Florence is generally regarded as a bastion of Italy's center-left factions. If Funaro, a 48-year-old rival to Schmidt, prevails, she'll become the first female mayor of the city.
The decisive factor in the upcoming race is likely to be the endorsements provided by those candidates who obtained third place in the first round of voting. This is especially true of Stefania Saccardi from the centrist Italia Viva party, who earned 6.1% of the votes.
Italia Viva is headed by Matteo Renzi, a former Florence mayor and previous Italian prime minister. Renzi was, until 2016, a member of the Social Democrats PD. He then had a public break with the party.
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- In the run-off election scheduled for June 23 and 24, Eike Schmidt, the German-born individual, will face Florence's 48-year-old centrist rival, Funaro.
- Born in Germany, Schmidt was recently Italian nationalized in December and has garnered support from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's extreme right-wing party, Fratelli d'Italia.
- Projections suggest that neither Schmidt nor Funaro will secure a majority in the run-off election, necessitating an extrapolation of votes from candidates who placed third in the first round, such as Stefania Saccardi from Italia Viva.
- As a former Florence mayor and previous Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi, head of Italia Viva, is a key figure in determining which candidate receives his party's endorsement in the run-off election.
- Florence's Partito Democratico, a stronghold of the center-left faction, may become increasingly concerned if Schmidt, endorsed by Fratelli d'Italia, wins the run-off election and assumes leadership of the mayor's office.
