Piedmontese regional election, 2010
Encyclopedia
The Piedmontese regional election of 2010 took place on 28–29 March 2010, as part of Italy's big round of regional elections
.
The incumbent President of the Region, Mercedes Bresso
of the centre-left Democratic Party
, lost her seat to Roberto Cota
, leader of Lega Piemont
and floor leader of Lega Nord in the Italian Chamber of Deputies
, who was backed also by The People of Freedom
. Cota's lead of Bresso was of only 0.4%, in one of the Region's narrowest elections ever. The League thus secured a second region, after having conquered the presidency of Veneto
with Luca Zaia
with a much more convincing margin.
and thus all the Democratic Party endorsed her in a key test of the coalition's strength after two years in opposition in Rome
.
For his part, Cota's choice was a little bit surprising as Piedmont is not really a stronghold for his party, which is much stronger in Veneto and Lombardy
. The day after his bid was announced, Cota explained that it is time to rewrite the history of Italian unification
, that was led by the Kingdom of Sardinia
under the House of Savoy
. Cota underlined that Piedmont was once an independent state and told that even Camillo Benso di Cavour did not intend to unify the whole Italian Peninsula
and later favoured a federal reform of the new Kingdom of Italy
. For these reasons Cota, who is a republican and has no nostalgia of the House of Savoy, says his message will do well in Piedmont and that he will overcome the weakness of Lega Piemont (that usually gets far less votes than Liga Veneta
in Veneto and Lega Lombarda
in Lombardy). In Cota's view, most of his support will come from industrial workers, including those of Southern descent, and Catholic
s, embarrassed by Bresso's secularism.
However, the Union of the Centre, whose main aim in the election was to fight back Lega Nord, chose to support Bresso, turning down the chance of running its own candidate (Michele Vietti was the most likely). Most Catholic voters disagreed.
Source: Ministry of the Interior – Historical Archive of Elections
Italian regional elections, 2010
A big round of regional elections in Italy took place on 28–29 March in 13 regions out of 20, including nine of the ten largest ones: Lombardy, Campania, Veneto, Lazio, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Apulia, Tuscany and Calabria...
.
The incumbent President of the Region, Mercedes Bresso
Mercedes Bresso
Mercedes Bresso is an Italian politician and former President of the Piedmont Region. She is a member of the Democratic Party . After her election as governor of Piedmont, she resigned from the office as Member of European Parliament. She is a Grand Officer of the Italian Republic...
of the centre-left Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Italy)
The Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Italy, that is the second-largest in the country. The party is led by Pier Luigi Bersani, who was elected in the 2009 leadership election....
, lost her seat to Roberto Cota
Roberto Cota
Roberto Cota is the leader of Lega Nord Piemont and a leading member of Lega Nord.After a degree in law, Cota joined the party in 1990. In 2000 he was elected to the Regional Council of Piedmont and was President of it until 2005...
, leader of Lega Piemont
Lega Nord Piemont
Lega Nord Piemont is a regionalist political party in Italy that is the regional section of Lega Nord in Piedmont.Its leader Roberto Cota is the President of Piedmont since March 2010.-Early years:...
and floor leader of Lega Nord in the Italian Chamber of Deputies
Italian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
, who was backed also by The People of Freedom
The People of Freedom
The People of Freedom is a centre-right political party in Italy. With the Democratic Party, it is one of the two major parties of the current Italian party system....
. Cota's lead of Bresso was of only 0.4%, in one of the Region's narrowest elections ever. The League thus secured a second region, after having conquered the presidency of Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
with Luca Zaia
Luca Zaia
Luca Zaia is an Italian Venetist politician, member of Liga Veneta–Lega Nord.Since March 2010 Zaia is President of Veneto...
with a much more convincing margin.
Background
Bresso was one of the last bulwarks of the centre-left in Central ItalyCentral Italy
Central Italy is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics , a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency...
and thus all the Democratic Party endorsed her in a key test of the coalition's strength after two years in opposition in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
For his part, Cota's choice was a little bit surprising as Piedmont is not really a stronghold for his party, which is much stronger in Veneto and Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
. The day after his bid was announced, Cota explained that it is time to rewrite the history of Italian unification
Italian unification
Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
, that was led by the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
under the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
. Cota underlined that Piedmont was once an independent state and told that even Camillo Benso di Cavour did not intend to unify the whole Italian Peninsula
Italian Peninsula
The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula is one of the three large peninsulas of Southern Europe , spanning from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname Lo Stivale...
and later favoured a federal reform of the new Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
. For these reasons Cota, who is a republican and has no nostalgia of the House of Savoy, says his message will do well in Piedmont and that he will overcome the weakness of Lega Piemont (that usually gets far less votes than Liga Veneta
Liga Veneta
Liga Veneta is a regionalist political party based in Veneto, combining Venetism and fiscal federalism. Liga Veneta is by far the largest party in Veneto and the party of Luca Zaia, President of Veneto since March 2010.It was the first party of its kind in Northern Italy, predating Umberto...
in Veneto and Lega Lombarda
Lega Lombarda
Lega Lombarda is a regionalist political party active in Lombardy. Led by Giancarlo Giorgetti, the party is the second largest in the region....
in Lombardy). In Cota's view, most of his support will come from industrial workers, including those of Southern descent, and Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
s, embarrassed by Bresso's secularism.
However, the Union of the Centre, whose main aim in the election was to fight back Lega Nord, chose to support Bresso, turning down the chance of running its own candidate (Michele Vietti was the most likely). Most Catholic voters disagreed.
Results
| Candidates & parties | votes | votes (%) | seats reg. list |
seats prov. lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roberto Cota Roberto Cota Roberto Cota is the leader of Lega Nord Piemont and a leading member of Lega Nord.After a degree in law, Cota joined the party in 1990. In 2000 he was elected to the Regional Council of Piedmont and was President of it until 2005... |
1,043,318 | 47.3 | 12 | 24 |
| The People of Freedom The People of Freedom The People of Freedom is a centre-right political party in Italy. With the Democratic Party, it is one of the two major parties of the current Italian party system.... |
474,431 | 25.0 | → | 13 |
| Lega Nord Piemont Lega Nord Piemont Lega Nord Piemont is a regionalist political party in Italy that is the regional section of Lega Nord in Piedmont.Its leader Roberto Cota is the President of Piedmont since March 2010.-Early years:... |
317,065 | 16.7 | → | 9 |
| Greens Greens | 33,411 | 1.8 | → | 1 |
| Pensioners' Party Pensioners' Party (Italy) The Pensioners' Party is a centrist Italian political party. It was founded in 1987 in Milan and its current leader is Carlo Fatuzzo.... |
27,797 | 1.5 | → | 1 |
| others | 37,212 | 1.9 | → | - |
| Mercedes Bresso Mercedes Bresso Mercedes Bresso is an Italian politician and former President of the Piedmont Region. She is a member of the Democratic Party . After her election as governor of Piedmont, she resigned from the office as Member of European Parliament. She is a Grand Officer of the Italian Republic... |
1,033,946 | 46.9 | 1 | 21 |
| Democratic Party Democratic Party (Italy) The Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Italy, that is the second-largest in the country. The party is led by Pier Luigi Bersani, who was elected in the 2009 leadership election.... |
439,663 | 23.2 | → | 12 |
| Italy of Values Italy of Values Italy of Values is a centrist, populist and anti-corruption political party in Italy. The party, which is affiliated to the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party , is headed by former Mani pulite prosecutor Antonio Di Pietro, who entered politics in 1996.The party aims to gather and give... |
130,649 | 6.9 | → | 3 |
| Union of the Centre | 74,412 | 3.9 | → | 2 |
| Together for Bresso | 61,476 | 3.2 | → | 1 |
| Moderates for Piedmont Moderates for Piedmont Moderates for Piedmont is a regional centrist Italian political party active in Piedmont. Its leader is Giacomo Portas .... |
58,010 | 3.1 | → | 1 |
| Federation of the Left Federation of the Left Federation of the Left is a communist coalition of political parties in Italy.The coalition is the evolution of the Anticapitalist List and includes:*Communist Refoundation Party... |
50,191 | 2.6 | → | 1 |
| Left Ecology Freedom | 27,198 | 1.4 | → | 1 |
| others | 58,938 | 3.1 | → | - |
| Davide Bono | 90,086 | 4.1 | - | - |
| Five Star Movement | 69,448 | 3.7 | → | - |
| Renzo Rabellino Renzo Rabellino Renzo Rabellino is the leader of the No Euro Movement, a political party in Italy that advocates the return of the Italian lira for the Italian currency and government control of the central bank.... |
36,999 | 1.7 | - | - |
| various lists < 1.0% | 34,170 | 1.8 | → | - |
| Total | 2,204,349 | 100.0 | 13 | 47 |
Source: Ministry of the Interior – Historical Archive of Elections