Puglia regional elections, the center-left on the edge: a national summit to decide the post-Emiliano era.

After the August break, the center-left returns to tackling the thorniest issues of the regional elections. The spotlight is on Campania and Puglia, two strategic regions for the future of the progressive camp, with a summit scheduled in Rome between Monday and Tuesday. On the table will be the succession to Vincenzo De Luca and Michele Emiliano, but above all, the search for a synthesis between the Democratic Party, the Five Star Movement, and the AVS. Calabria, now firmly in the hands of the center-right, remains on the back burner.

Decaro among the favorites but with non-negotiable conditions

The strongest name in the Apulian debate remains that of Antonio Decaro , former national president of the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI) and Democratic Party MEP, but his willingness to run for regional leadership is tied to a strict condition: the names of Michele Emiliano and Nichi Vendola must not appear on the lists. This condition currently seems unlikely to be achieved.

Emiliano, in fact, is convinced that the local Democratic Party will never question his presence, while Vendola has already agreed to run after pressure from the national and Apulian leadership of the Italian Left. Decaro's entourage has leaked that "there will be no candidacy if the two leaders are on the list," a message the Nazarene knows well. Precisely for this reason, the organization of a potential presidential campaign has been put on hold.

The Gazzetta poll displaces the parties

Further stirring the situation was a poll commissioned by La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno , which painted a complex picture. Decaro emerged as the strongest candidate with 67% support, but he's not the only one guaranteed victory. Francesco Boccia , leader of the Senate group, garnered 60% of the vote, while Loredana Capone , Mario Turco of the Five Star Movement, and Raffaele Piemontese also surpassed the 50% threshold.

The message is clear: in Puglia, there is no irreplaceable candidate. The center-left enjoys such broad support that it can afford to explore multiple alternatives without fear of defeat. This reinforces the idea that the game should be managed based more on internal balances than on the real risk of losing the region.

Mayors take action after the Constitutional Court's ruling

At the same time, mayors have begun to take action. In Gallipoli, Stefano Minerva , a Democratic Party representative and close to the memory of the late councilor Donato Metallo , has already put up the first election posters. Persistent rumors are circulating of a possible candidacy by Toni Matarrelli , mayor of Mesagne, and Amedeo Bottaro , mayor of Trani. Completing the picture is Fiorenza Pascazio , president of ANCI Puglia, mayor of Bitetto.

The Constitutional Court's ruling, which struck down as "unreasonable" the 180-day deadline for mayors to resign in order to run for office, has made the process of running for office less traumatic for communities. This green light has opened up new prospects for those who lead municipalities and want to try their hand at Via Capruzzi.

The Campania front and the Fico knot

The situation in Puglia, however, is closely linked to Campania, where outgoing governor Vincenzo De Luca opposes the candidacy of former Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Roberto Fico , identified by the Five Star Movement as the natural successor. A solution in Naples could automatically unblock Bari as well, as the two dossiers are running parallel. If an agreement is reached in Campania, closing Puglia could become a matter of hours.

The center-right is ready to play its cards

On the other side, the center-right is also making moves. The mayor of Candela, Nicola Gatta , close to the Brothers of Italy party, could be on the list, while attention is growing in Nardò on Pippi Mellone , who could run for councilor but also be promoted as a gubernatorial candidate. This choice would give the center-right a disruptive candidate, capable of attracting cross-party support.

The Rome summit in the next few hours will reveal whether the center-left will be able to reach an agreement or whether the internal tug-of-war between national and regional leaders will continue to block decisions.

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