The focus is on Italy. - Florence sees voting in run-off for German mayoral hopeful
During a recent mayoral election in Florence, someone named Eike Schmidt from the German side finished in the final round. This candidate, who's backed by the right-wing group and also holds Italian citizenship, got the second-highest number of votes on Sunday. If the prediction from Rai, a TV broadcaster, is accurate, Schmidt could get anywhere between 32.5% and 36.5% of the votes, setting up a showdown with the leader from the first round, Sara Funaro (40.5-44.5%) on June 23rd and 24th.
The city of Florence is known to favor left-wing politicians, meaning Funaro has a good chance of winning. The current social democratic leader Dario Nardella, who served three terms, couldn't compete in this election.
Schmidt's campaign is supported by a right-wing coalition led by Giorgia Meloni, a leader from Rome's government. Her party, Fratelli d'Italia (IT Brothers) has its origins in the post-fascist movement. Schmidt had been directing the Uffizi Museum in Florence, a renowned global museum, for eight years, and since January he's been managing the Museum Capodimonte in Naples. He's currently taking a break.
Florence's population is 360,000, so it's a pretty big city. Although it usually votes for the left, it's still open to the idea of having a right-wing candidate.
Read also:
- Eike Schmidt, a German individual with Italian citizenship and a supporter of the right-wing coalition, is set to face Sara Funaro in a run-off election for the Florence mayoral position on June 23rd and 24th, following his second-place finish in the recent election.
- The upcoming run-off election in Florence between Eike Schmidt and Sara Funaro has attracted significant attention, especially since Germany is also in the spotlight due to political developments.
- While Italy tends to lean towards left-wing politicians, Eike Schmidt has managed to secure a strong second place in Florence's mayoral election, thanks in part to the support of Giorgia Meloni's Fratelli d'Italia party.
- The German candidate, Eike Schmidt, who is currently managing the Museum Capodimonte in Naples after eight years as director of the Uffizi Museum in Florence, has shown that a right-wing candidate can capture the attention of even traditionally left-leaning cities like Florence, during the run-off election on Sunday, May 23rd, and 24th.
