Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02ROME2628
2002-05-31 07:45:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

ITALYS LOCAL ELECTION SNOOZE

Tags:  PGOV IT EUN 
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UNCLAS ROME 002628 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV IT EUN
SUBJECT: ITALYS LOCAL ELECTION SNOOZE

REF: FLORENCE 35

UNCLAS ROME 002628

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV IT EUN
SUBJECT: ITALYS LOCAL ELECTION SNOOZE

REF: FLORENCE 35


1. CONSULATES NAPLES, MILAN, AND FLORENCE CONTRIBUTED TO
THIS CABLE.


2. SUMMARY: ITALYS LOCAL ELECTIONS WERE OVERSHADOWED BY
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 ROME 02628 310712Z
ATTENTION TO THE NATO-RUSSIA SUMMIT IN ROME. ELECTIONS
WENT SMOOTHLY, WITH INCUMBENTS OR INCUMBENT GOVERNING
COALITIONS LARGELY RETURNED TO OFFICE. THERE ARE NO
NATIONAL-LEVEL GENERALIZATIONS TO BE MADE FROM THE
AGGREGATE OF HUNDREDS OF ELECTIONS DOMINATED BY LOCAL
ISSUES. END SUMMARY.


3. ITALIANS VOTED MAY 26-27 IN LOCAL ELECTIONS TO CHOOSE
TEN PROVINCIAL PRESIDENTS AND COUNCILS, 794 MAYORS, AND 749
CITY COUNCILS. (NOTE: ITALY IS DIVIDED INTO TWENTY
REGIONS, AKIN TO U.S. STATES, WHICH ARE FURTHER DIVIDED
D
INTO 100 PROVINCES, SIMILAR TO COUNTIES.) VOTER TURNOUT,
AT 75.8%, WAS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN THE 76.4% TURNOUT AT
PREVIOUS LOCAL ELECTIONS. VOTING WAS EXPANDED IN FEBRUARY
TO OCCUR OVER TWO DAYS, IN A MOVE THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED
TO STREAMLINE VOTING PROCEDURES AND INCREASE VOTER
PARTICIPATION. (LAST MAY'S NATIONAL ELECTIONS WERE MARRED
BY PROTESTS IN MANY CITIES AS POLLING STATIONS BECAME
OVERCROWDED AND WERE HELD OPEN HOURS BEYOND THE OFFICIAL
CLOSING TIME. ADDITIONALLY, ABSTENTION HAS GROWN IN ITALY,
IN PART DUE TO APATHY, BUT ALSO BECAUSE MANY ITALIANS GO
AWAY FOR THE WEEK-END AND ONLY RETURN HOME LATE SUNDAY
NIGHT.)


4. THE ELECTIONS ATTRACTED LITTLE NATIONAL OR PARTY
ATTENTION, WITH NONE OF ITALYS MAJOR CITIES OR MORE
SIGNIFICANT PROVINCES INVOLVED. LOCAL ISSUES PREVAILED,
WITH LITTLE RESORT TO NATIONAL THEMES SUCH AS CONFLICT OF
INTEREST OR JUDICIAL REFORM, AND CANDIDATES PERSONALITIES
OFTEN HELD GREATER SWAY THAN THE ISSUES. WHILE IN SOME
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 ROME 02628 310712Z
E
CASES LOCAL RACES WERE HOTLY CONTESTED, THESE DID NOT SPARK
NATIONAL-LEVEL INTEREST. PERHAPS AS EXPECTED, THEREFORE,
THE ELECTIONS BROUGHT LITTLE CHANGE: IN MOST CITIES AND
REGIONS, INCUMBENTS OR COALITIONS REFLECTING EXISTING
GOVERNING COALITIONS WERE RETURNED TO OFFICE. A FEW
DISTRICTS WILL HOLD RUN-OFF ELECTIONS ON JUNE 9, WHERE NO
CANDIDATE GARNERED MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF THE VOTE.
REGGIO CALABRIA, ON THE TOE OF ITALYS BOOT, SAW THE ONLY
TURNOVER IN THE FIRST ROUND. BOTH THE INCUMBENT CENTER-
LEFT PROVINCIAL PRESIDENT AND MAYOR WERE DEFEATED BY THEIR
CENTER-RIGHT OPPONENTS.


5. COMMENT: ELECTION RESULTS WERE LARGELY PREDICTABLE ON
THE BASIS OF PAST VOTING. EVEN THE REGGIO CALABRIA UPSET
IS NOT OVERLY SIGNIFICANT; THE CALABRIA REGION VOTED
CENTER-RIGHT IN LAST YEARS GENERAL ELECTION, AND IT WAS
NOT SURPRISING THAT ONE OF ITS PROVINCES WOULD FOLLOW SUIT.
AS ELABORATED REFTEL, THERE WERE REGIONAL NUANCES. IN
NORTHERN ITALY, ALSO, FORZA ITALIA'S PERFORMANCE WAS NOT AS
AS
STRONG AS SOME OBSERVERS EXPECTED FOR REASONS ATTRIBUTED
VARIOUSLY TO SILVIO BERLUSCONIS DECISION NOT TO CAMPAIGN
PERSONALLY, THE "WEAKNESS" OF THE CANDIDATES, OR THE
FRUSTRATION ON THE PART OF ECONOMIC SECTORS WHICH SUPPORTED
THE CENTER-RIGHT IN LAST YEAR'S ELECTIONS. NONETHELESS,
EVEN FEW PARTY REPRESENTATIVES HAVE TRIED TO IMPUTE
SIGNIFICANCE TO THE INDIVIDUAL GAINS AND LOSSES; THE WHOLE
EVENT WAS OVERSHADOWED BY THE NATO-RUSSIA SUMMIT. SOME
OBSERVERS HAVE CREDITED THE CENTER-RIGHT WITH HAVING HAD
MORE TO LOSE FROM THE ELECTION AND THUS WITH A MORE
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04 ROME 02628 310712Z
FAVORABLE OUTCOME. OTHERS SUGGESTED THAT THE LEFT
REHABILITATED ITS IMAGE DAMAGED IN THE NATIONAL ELECTIONS.
EITHER INTERPRETATION IS A STRETCH. TO PARAPHRASE MARK
TWAIN, ANYONE ATTEMPTING TO FIND A MORAL IN THIS STORY
WILL BE HUNG.
POPE
OPE

UNCLASSIFIED

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2002ROME02628 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED