2016 Bologna municipal election
Municipal elections were held in Bologna on 5 and 19 June 2016. The centre-left candidate Virginio Merola was elected mayor at the second round with 54.64% of votes.[1]
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Voting system
The voting system is used for all mayoral elections in Italy, in the city with a population higher than 15,000 inhabitants. Under this system voters express a direct choice for the mayor or an indirect choice voting for the party of the candidate's coalition. If no candidate receives 50% of votes, the top two candidates go to a second round after two weeks. This gives a result whereby the winning candidate may be able to claim majority support, although it is not guaranteed.
The election of the City Council is based on a direct choice for the candidate with a preference vote: the candidate with the majority of the preferences is elected. The number of the seats for each party is determined proportionally.
Parties and candidates
This is a list of the parties (and their respective leaders) which will participate in the election.
| Political force or alliance | Constituent lists | Leader | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | ||||
| Common City with Amelia | ||||
| Alive Bologna | ||||
| Citizens for Bologna | ||||
| Metropolitan Bologna Centre | ||||
| Lega Nord | ||||
| Forza Italia | ||||
| United We Win | ||||
| Brothers of Italy | ||||
| Reclaim Bologna | ||||
| Five Star Movement | ||||
| Together Bologna | ||||
| Civic Coalition | ||||
| Federation of the Greens | ||||
| Workers' Communist Party | ||||
| The People of Family | ||||
| Justice Honor Freedom | ||||
Opinion polling
Results
First round
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| Candidates & parties | Votes | % | Seats leaders |
Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginio Merola | 68,749 | 39.46 | – | 22 | |
| Democratic Party | 60,054 | 35.44 | → | 21 | |
| Common City with Amelia | 4,897 | 2.89 | → | 1 | |
| Alive Bologna | 1,425 | 0.84 | → | – | |
| Citizens for Bologna | 1,330 | 0.78 | → | – | |
| Metropolitan Bologna Centre | 1,330 | 0.78 | → | – | |
| Lucia Borgonzoni | 38,806 | 22.27 | 1 | 5 | |
| Lega Nord | 17,371 | 10.25 | → | 3 | |
| Forza Italia | 10,610 | 6.26 | → | 2 | |
| United We Win | 4,161 | 2.45 | → | – | |
| Brothers of Italy | 4,090 | 2.41 | → | – | |
| Reclaim Bologna | 1,035 | 0.61 | → | – | |
| Massimo Bugani | 29,912 | 16.19 | 1 | 3 | |
| Five Star Movement | 28,136 | 16.60 | → | 3 | |
| Manes Bernardini | 18,181 | 10.43 | 1 | 1 | |
| Together Bologna | 16,840 | 9.94 | → | 1 | |
| Federico Martelloni | 12,200 | 7.00 | 1 | 1 | |
| Civic Coalition | 12,024 | 7.09 | → | 1 | |
| Matteo Badiali | 2,638 | 1.51 | – | – | |
| Federation of the Greens | 2,569 | 1.51 | → | – | |
| Ermanno Lorenzoni | 2,180 | 1.25 | – | – | |
| Workers' Communist Party | 1,871 | 1.10 | → | – | |
| Mirko De Carli | 2,076 | 1.19 | – | – | |
| The People of Family | 2,090 | 1.23 | → | – | |
| Sergio Celloni | 445 | 0.25 | – | – | |
| Justice Honor Freedom | 427 | 0.25 | → | – | |
| Total | 169,416 | 100.00 | 4 | 32 | |
| Source: Ministry of the Interior | |||||
Notes: if a defeated candidate for Mayor obtained over 3% of votes, he/she is automatically elected comunal councilor (Borgonzoni, Bugani, Bernardini and Martelloni); see Italian electoral law of 1993 for Comuni. The candidate elected Mayor is not a member of communal council, but Merola votes in the communal council (see Italian electoral law 1993).
Second round
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginio Merola | 83,907 | 54.64% | |
| Lucia Borgonzoni | 69,660 | 45.36% | |
| Total | 153,567 | 100.00 | |
| Source: Ministry of the Interior | |||