Sardinia imposes defeat on the extreme right in Italy and “opens an alternative”

The Italian extreme right, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was defeated in the regional elections in Sardinia, according to results released this Tuesday (27). The election for governor was held on the island, this Sunday (25).

Alessandra Todde, candidate of the populist 5 Star Movement (M5S) and supported by the center-left Democratic Party (PD), achieved 45.4% of the votes and surpassed the conservative candidate and mayor of the capital Cagliari, Paolo Truzzu, with 45%.

Despite the tight score, in an election with only 2.5% of Italy’s population, the defeat of Meloni’s coalition is quite symbolic, as it imposes the first defeat of the radical, populist and nationalist right that came to power in September 2022.

“It’s an unforgettable day. The Sardinians have opened an alternative”, proclaimed Giuseppe Conte, leader of the 5 Star Movement which is close to the center-left Democratic Party of the PD.

Todde beat Paolo Truzzu, a member of Meloni’s fascist Brothers of Italy (FdI) party. The prime minister imposed her candidate based on the will of Matteo Salvini, leader of the League, FdI’s main partner in the far-right coalition. The leader of the xenophobic and nationalist party wanted to present Christian Solinas, the president of the island’s regional government who has been investigated for corruption since 2022.

The election served as a test to see if the current alliance between M5S and PD could compete with the right-wing coalition. “Sardinian citizens closed the door to Meloni and opened it to the alternative. The air has changed”, celebrated the former prime minister and leader of the 5 Star Movement, Giuseppe Conte.