Regional elections, coalitions at sea. Tajani: "No meeting yet on candidates, but we'll find them."

The regional elections are underway, but slowly. "The center-right will have a single candidate," assures Forza Italia secretary Antonio Tajani . But at the moment, there are few names to present in the upcoming regional elections, both from the center-right and the center-left. "We will choose the best ones at the right time. We haven't scheduled meetings yet; we've only spoken once. Now we will certainly find the best candidates in time for Campania and Puglia. In Calabria, we already have Roberto Occhiuto , and then for Veneto and Tuscany," continues the deputy prime minister. Tomorrow, Tajani and Giorgia Meloni will be in Ancona for an institutional event for Francesco Acquaroli , the outgoing FdI governor of the Marche region, who is running again in the elections on September 28th and 29th.

"We're now busy campaigning for the first regions where we'll be voting, which are Marche and Valle d'Aosta. We'll find the right candidates in due time. We don't even know when the vote will take place yet, but there's no problem," Tajani cuts short.

Standby names

Campania, Tuscany, Veneto, Puglia, and now Calabria. The center-right coalition still seems to be in limbo, with the leadership summit remaining on hold and the local parties now relying on the "after mid-August" period to officially announce the names of those competing in the next round of elections.

Center-left at work

Work is also underway within the center-left. For now, it has launched the campaign of Giovanni Manildo , the Kung Fu Panda attempting the feat in Veneto, as well as Matteo Ricci , hoping it won't be overshadowed by ongoing investigations. The Marche region will go to the polls first (along with the Aosta Valley) at the end of September, and starting the campaign early was essential. The center-left candidate is moving forward. And after receiving support during the visit of Democratic Party secretary Elly Schlein , he has resumed his tour of the beaches of the Marche coast, from Civitanova Marche to Porto Recanati.

The regions at the vote

Meanwhile, Roberto Occhiuto 's bid for a second term in Calabria seems to be in place: a clear candidacy, an electoral campaign already underway with the Forza Italia rally currently underway in Reggio Calabria, and a voting window set for early October. The Democratic Party, Five Star Movement, and AVS are busy searching for the right candidate and hope to finalize the name in the first half of August.

For the other regions, both sides say, "there's time," as Tajani reiterated today. Tuscany could go to the polls along with Calabria ( Eugenio Giani , the outgoing governor who is waiting to find out whether he will actually run again, has already set October 12th). Meanwhile, Luca Zaia , who after 15 years cannot run again, is leaning toward calling regional elections on the last available weekend, November 23rd. Puglia and Campania are also expected to do the same. Both are still waiting for the parties to seal their candidacies.

The same goes for Veneto. A sore point for the center-right, where the puzzle remains unsolved. The League continues to insist on his candidacy. Alberto Stefani , MP, Veneto secretary, and Matteo Salvini 's deputy, remains in pole position. Among Meloni's supporters, however, the odds are still open, since the Brothers of Italy party does not govern any major northern region and in Veneto it achieved some of the highest percentages in Italy.