In Milan, the exact date for electing a new mayor in 2027 is not yet known, but the electoral campaign is more alive than ever. Fueling it is the announcement by Mario Calabresi who, while not having completely declared his candidacy, has clearly stated that he is considering running for mayor for the centre-left.
There are those who are stepping back, however, such as Carlo Cottarelli, the economist who had been courted by Forza Italia and the centre and who "for personal reasons" will not be taking part. Roberto Vannacci, on the other hand, will be fielding a candidate in Milan with his Futuro Nazionale party, which has dealt a blow to the centre-right with the announcement that former Forza Italia group leader on the City Council, Luca Bernardo — who had also run as a mayoral candidate in 2021 — has joined his party. The centre-left will only decide in September whether there will be coalition primaries, but in the meantime Mario Calabresi is giving serious thought to running. "To the many people who ask me on the street, I answer that yes, I am thinking about it," he explained yesterday at a PD event in the Milan area. "I am thinking about it and I would like to do my part for Milan, I care about it." The journalist is waiting to see what the party decides about the path forward. Calabresi is a name that appeals to Azione and there are no objections from the Five Star Movement either. The journalist is also appreciated by former Milan mayor Gabriele Albertini, who considers him "an unbeatable candidate" who could also draw votes from the centre-right through split-ticket voting.
Meanwhile, former governor Roberto Formigoni envisions some "difficulty" for him in the primaries against candidates who are more experienced in politics. Economist Carlo Cottarelli, on the other hand, is ruling himself out of the municipal race. "For a series of reasons that are predominantly personal in nature, it is not my intention to run for the office of mayor," he clarified after his name had been floated for weeks — a name that was especially popular with Forza Italia and centrists, but was not particularly welcomed by the Lega and Brothers of Italy, given that the economist was elected to parliament with the PD. Forza Italia itself is now blaming allies and those within the centre-right who "sought to weaken, oppose or sabotage" his candidacy "in an act of recklessness," said regional coordinator Alessandro Sorte. Senate President Ignazio La Russa, who on Monday had organised a lunch with aspiring mayoral candidates, responded to these remarks. La Russa says he "encouraged Cottarelli to consider the race. If anything, it is Forza Italia's rush at a regional level to put a jersey on him prematurely that lacks prudence," he said, "when even Calenda appeared intelligently cautious, as I was." The ball for choosing the candidate for Milan "must now pass to Giorgia Meloni and the deputy prime ministers." Roberto Vannacci, on the other hand, will be announcing his mayoral candidate before the August break. "Futuro Nazionale will prove itself at the general elections but above all at the upcoming municipal elections in Milan," said Vannacci via video link as he welcomed Luca Bernardo, former Forza Italia group leader who has joined his party. "Today the team grows stronger and we will soon announce our mayoral candidate — no one should think about going on holiday in August, because this information will be shared before the summer recess."
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