The 2019 Italian by-elections were the elections called to fill seats of the Parliament that had become vacant after the 2018 general elections.[1]

Overview

The new Italian electoral law approved in 2017 and nicknamed Rosatellum, provides the election of members of Parliament in 232 single-member districts for the Chamber of Deputies and in 116 for the Senate of the Republic. Whenever a seat of this kind becomes vacant, a by-election is called, and a new representative is elected.

Chamber of Deputies

Sardinia 1: Cagliari

Map of the district.

The by-election in the district of Cagliari, Sardinia was held on 20 January 2019, to elect a deputy for the seat left vacant by Andrea Mura, whose resignation was approved by the Chamber of Deputies on 27 September 2018.

The deadline for the presentation of names for the candidacy to the seat was set for 17 December 2018. Four candidates filed papers for running: journalist Andrea Frailis for the Centre-left coalition, Daniela Noli for the Centre-right coalition, councillor and engineer Luca Caschili for the Five Star Movement, and volleyball coach Enrico Balletto for CasaPound.

Noli and Balletto were making a second attempt at election to Parliament after missing out in the 2018 general elections: the former was nominated in second place on her list behind the elected Ugo Cappellacci in the plurinominal district of southern Sardinia, while the latter ran in the single-member district of Cagliari for the Senate of the Republic. Frailis, not affiliated to any party, competed with the support of the new "Progressives of Sardinia" coalition, formation created for the occasion, which unites both the Democratic Party and other formations, such as Free and Equal, that in Parliament formed the previous year two separate groups. Frailis has however announced that in the event of his election he would join the Democratic Party.

The election was characterised by a very low turnout, equal to 15.54%. The two most populous municipalities registered the highest and lowest turnout: Cagliari with 17.17% and Quartu Sant'Elena with 12.46%. Andrea Frailis, the candidate of the centre-left coalition, was elected deputy with 40.40% of the votes, while Daniele Caschili and Daniela Noli stopped respectively at 28.92% and 27.80%. It is worth noting that Frailis received maximum votes only in the municipalities of Cagliari, Quartu Sant'Elena and Monserrato, namely the municipalities of the first belt of the city hinterland. These being the most populous municipalities, have determined the victory.

2019 Cagliari by-election
Party or coalition Candidate Votes  % +/−
Centre-left Andrea Frailis 15,581 40.46 +21.08
Five Star Movement Luca Caschili 11,139 28.92 −10.14
Centre-right Daniela Noli 10,707 27.80 −4.83
CasaPound Enrico Balletto 1,083 2.81 +1.75
Total votes 38,510 100.00 —
Turnout 39,101 15.54 —
Centre-left gain from Five Star Movement

Trentino-Südtirol 4: Trento

Map of the district.

On 22 October 2018, elections took place in Trentino to elect both the Governor and the Council of the Autonomous Province. Deputy Giulia Zanotelli of Cles was elected Councillor, and therefore, on 9 January 2019, she resigned from the seat at the Chamber of Deputies, triggering the by-election in the district for her replacement. Candidates of the Centre-right coalition (League, Forza Italia, Brothers of Italy), the Democratic Autonomist Alliance (Democratic Party, Future, Union for Trentino, Free and Equal, Federation of the Greens, Italian Socialist Party) and the Five Star Movement took part in the election, while the Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party did not file candidacies.

The by-election was held on 26 May 2019, in concurrence with another by-election in the district of Pergine, Trentino, and several other elections of the European Parliament (spanning from May 23 to May 26).

2019 Trento by-election
Party or coalition Candidate Votes  % +/−
Centre-right Martina Loss 46,224 46.06 +8.68
Centre-left Giulia Merlo 41,290 41.14 +7.20
Five Star Movement Lorenzo Leoni 12,846 12.80 –9.37
Total votes 100,360 100.00 —
Turnout 112,195 56.92 —
Centre-right hold

Trentino-Südtirol 6: Pergine Valsugana

Map of the district.

On 22 October 2018, Deputy Maurizio Fugatti of Avio was elected as Governor of the Autonomous Province of Trentino; in consequence of that, he resigned from the Chamber of Deputies on 9 January 2019, in order to assume his new office. Candidates of the centre-right coalition (League, Forza Italia, Brothers of Italy), the Democratic Autonomist Alliance (Democratic Party, Futura, Union for Trentino, Free and Equal, Federation of the Greens, Italian Socialist Party) and the Five Star Movement took part in the election, while the Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party did not file candidacies.

The by-election was held on 26 May 2019, in concurrence with the other by-election in the district of Trento, Trentino, and with the several elections of the European Parliament (spanning from May 23 to May 26).

2019 Pergine by-election
Party or coalition Candidate Votes  % +/−
Centre-right Mauro Sutto 27,513 51.08 +6.52
Centre-left Cristina Donei 19,386 35.99 +9.28
Five Star Movement Rosa Rizzi 6,959 12.92 –10.05
Total votes 53,858 100.00 —
Turnout 59,691 51.36 —
Centre-right hold

References

  1. ↑ "Tornano le elezioni suppletive (qualcuno se ne è accorto?)" (in Italian). lacostituzione.info. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
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