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.
