Abruzzo election candidates, who are Marco Marsilio and Luciano D’Amico

Next Sunday 10 March we will vote in Abruzzo for the election of the President of the Region and for the renewal of the Regional Council. There are only two candidates running for president: the outgoing governor Marcus Marsilio for the centre-right, e Luciano D’Amico supported by the so-called broad field, the center-left alliance that goes from the Democratic Party to the 5 Star Movement, up to the former Terzo Polo di Azione and Italia Viva.

ABRUZZO ELECTIONS – RESULTS – REGIONAL SUMMARY

Marcus Marsilio

Marcus Marsilio, 56 years old, is the candidate of the centre-right coalition, which includes Fratelli d’Italia, Lega, Forza Italia and Noi Moderati. Marsilio is also supported by the Center Union (UDC) and by the civic list “Marsilio Presidente”.

Outgoing governor, Marsilio was the first regional president belonging to the Brothers of Italy, but elected on the strength of the exploits of the League then in government with the leader and vice-premier Matteo Salvini.

In the past Marsilio was a deputy for the People of Freedom from 2008 to 2013 and later a senator for the Brothers of Italy from 2018 to 2019.

Marsilio is a leading exponent of Fratelli d’Italia who has an important electoral base in Abruzzo. The same Giorgia Meloni in the latest elections she was elected to the Chamber in the single-member constituency of L’Aquila, where FdI reached 30 percent and the centre-right coalition exceeded 50 percent of the votes.

Precisely this close proximity with the Prime Minister’s “Roman” party, of which she is a historic friend, could however be an Achilles’ heel for Marsilio, who should not even benefit from not residing in the region. In fact, during the years of his presidency Marsilio confessed to living in Rome, and to commute between the capital and Abruzzo. Other critical points that emerged during these last days of the electoral campaign are the thousand hectares of the Borsacchio reserve cut to make way for new buildings. The center-left pointed the finger at the funds for the Rome-Pescara railway line, cut by Meloni and Salvini, but reappeared ten days before the vote after a blitz by Marsilio at Palazzo Chigi.

Luciano D’Amico

Marsilio’s challenger is Luciano D’Amicosupported by a broad centre-left coalition formed by the Democratic Party, the 5 Star Movement, the Green-Left Alliance, Action, by the personal list “Abruzzo together – D’Amico president” and by the “Reformists and civic” list, which within includes Italia Viva, with the symbol “Abruzzo Vivo”.

Born in 1960, D’Amico is an economist born in Torricella Peligna, in the province of Chieti. He said he grew up in a peasant family who then dedicated themselves to the trade of agricultural products. From 2013 to 2018 he was rector of the University of Teramo.

D’Amico’s candidacy will be a significant electoral test for the so-called broad field, the alliance of all the main centre-left parties, from the Democratic Party to Action, together with the 5 Star Movement. A broad field that was not put in place in previous policies.

Despite the “miracle” of putting it together Elly Schlein, Giuseppe Conte, Carlo Calenda e Matteo Renzi, D’Amico still preferred to close the electoral campaign without the leaders on stage. The new president of Sardinia, Alessandra Todde, was invited to act as testimonial.