# 2021 Bologna municipal election

The municipal elections in Bologna took place on 3 and 4 October 2021. The incumbent Mayor of Bologna was Virginio Merola of Democratic Party, who won the 2016 Bologna municipal election. The centre-left candidate Matteo Lepore won in a landslide with 62% of votes, becoming the most voted mayor since the introduction of direct elections in 1995.

## Electoral system

The voting system is used for all mayoral elections in Italy, in the cities 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 during the first round, the top two candidates go to a second round after two weeks. The winning candidate obtains a majority bonus equal to 60% of seats. During the first round, if no candidate gets more than 50% of votes but a coalition of lists gets the majority of 50% of votes or if the mayor is elected in the first round but its coalition gets less than 40% of the valid votes, the majority bonus cannot be assigned to the coalition of the winning mayor candidate.
The election of the City Council is based on a direct choice for the candidate with a maximum of two preferential votes, each for a different gender, belonging to the same party list: the candidate with the majority of the preferences is elected. The number of the seats for each party is determined proportionally, using D'Hondt seat allocation. Only coalitions with more than 3% of votes are eligible to get any seats.

## Background
### Centre-left primary election

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Matteo Lepore | Democratic Party | 15,750 | 59.6% |
| | Isabella Conti | Italia Viva | 10,672 | 40.4% |
| Total | Total | Total | 26,422 | 100% |

#### Endorsements
##### Matteo Lepore

* Anna Ascani (PD), current Vicepresident of the Democratic Party (2019–today) and Undersecretary for Economic Development (2021–today)
* Stefano Bonaccini (PD), current President of Emilia-Romagna (2014–today)
* Emily Marion Clancy (SI), municipal councillor for Bologna (2016–today)
* Giuseppe Conte (M5S), former Prime Minister (2018–2021)
* Valentina Cuppi (PD), current President of the Democratic Party (2020–today), mayor of Marzabotto (2019–today)
* Andrea De Maria (PD), Member of the Chamber of Deputies (2013–today), mayor of Marzabotto (1995–2004)
* Vasco Errani (Art.1), former President of Emilia-Romagna (1999–2014)
* Cathy La Torre (Independent), lawyer and LGBT activist, municipal councillor for Bologna (2011–2016)
* Nicola Fratoianni (SI), current Secretary of Italian Left (2017–2019; 2021–today)
* Enrico Letta (PD), current Secretary of the Democratic Party (2021–today) and former Prime Minister (2013–2014)
* Virginio Merola (PD), current Mayor of Bologna (2011–today)
* Dario Nardella (PD), current Mayor of Florence (2014–today)
* Romano Prodi (Independent), former Prime Minister (1996–1998; 2006–2008)
* Peppe Provenzano (PD), current Deputy secretary of the Democratic Party (2021–today) and former Minister for Territorial Cohesion (2019–2021)
* Mattia Santori (Independent), leader of the Sardines movement
* Elly Schlein (GI), current Vicepresident of Emilia-Romagna (2020–today)
* Nicola Zingaretti (PD), President of Lazio (2013–today) and former Secretary of the Democratic Party (2019–2021)

##### Isabella Conti

* Alberto Aitini (PD), municipal assessor for Bologna (2016–today)
* Mauro Felicori (Independent), regional assessor of Culture (2020–today)
* Gian Luca Galletti (CpE), Minister of Environment (2014–2018), member of the Chamber of Deputies (2006–2013)
* Elisabetta Gualmini (PD), Member of the European Parliament (2019–today)
* Marco Lombardo (PD), municipal assessor for Bologna (2016–today)
* Matteo Renzi (IV), member of the Senate of the Republic (2018–today), former Prime Minister (2014–2016)
* Giampiero Veronesi (PD), Mayor of Anzola dell'Emilia (2014–today)

## 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 | Constituent lists | Candidate |
| Centre-left coalition | | Democratic Party | Matteo Lepore |
| Centre-left coalition | | Five Star Movement | Matteo Lepore |
| Centre-left coalition | | Matteo Lepore for Mayor | Matteo Lepore |
| Centre-left coalition | | Civic Coalition for Bologna (incl. SI, Art.1, Pos, èViva) | Matteo Lepore |
| Centre-left coalition | | You Also Count (incl. IV, +E) | Matteo Lepore |
| Centre-left coalition | | Green Europe | Matteo Lepore |
| Centre-left coalition | | Italian Socialist Party – Volt | Matteo Lepore |
| Centre-right coalition | | Forza Italia – Union of the Centre | Fabio Battistini |
| Centre-right coalition | | League | Fabio Battistini |
| Centre-right coalition | | Brothers of Italy | Fabio Battistini |
| Centre-right coalition | | Battistini for Mayor – We like Bologna (incl. È, NcI) | Fabio Battistini |
| Centre-right coalition | | The People of the Family | Fabio Battistini |
| Power to the People | Power to the People | Power to the People | Marta Collot |
| Stefano Sermenghi for Mayor | | Italexit (incl. Vox Italy) | Stefano Sermenghi |
| Stefano Sermenghi for Mayor | | BFC – Bologna Civic Forum | Stefano Sermenghi |
| 3V Movement | 3V Movement | 3V Movement | Andrea Tosatto |
| United Left for Bologna (incl. PRC, PCI) | United Left for Bologna (incl. PRC, PCI) | United Left for Bologna (incl. PRC, PCI) | Dora Palumbo |
| August 24th Movement | August 24th Movement | August 24th Movement | Luca Labanti |
| Workers' Communist Party | Workers' Communist Party | Workers' Communist Party | Federico Bacchiocchi |

## Opinion polls
### Candidates

| Date | Polling firm/ Client | Sample size | Lepore | Battistini | Others | Undecided | Lead |
| 4 October 2021 | Election result | - | 61.9 | 29.6 | 8.5 | - | 32.3 |
| 12–15 Sep 2021 | Noto | 1,000 | 60.0 | 34.0 | 6.0 | 22.0 | 36.0 |
| 7–10 Sep 2021 | Quorum | 805 | 59.5 | 32.1 | 8.4 | 42.0 | 27.4 |
| 3–8 Sep 2021 | Quorum | 806 | 60.1 | 32.5 | 4.0–8.0 | 7.4 | 27.6 |
| 7 Sep 2021 | Opinio | — | 58.0 | 37.0 | 6.0 | 17.4 | 21.0 |
| 24–26 Aug 2021 | BiDiMedia | 822 | 63.5 | 28.0 | 8.5 | 26.0 | 35.5 |
| 13–18 Aug 2021 | Winpoll | 800 | 61.6 | 27.1 | 11.3 | — | 34.5 |
| 17 Aug 2021 | Opinio | — | 57.0 | 38.0 | 5.0 | — | 19.0 |
| 3–5 Aug 2021 | Demopolis | 1,502 | 49.0 | 36.0 | 15.0 | 38.0 | 13.0 |

### Parties

| Date | Polling firm | Sample size | Centre-left | Centre-right | Centre-right | Centre-right | Centre-right | Others | Undecided | Lead |
| Date | Polling firm | Sample size | PD | M5S | CC | +E–IV | Other | Others | Undecided | Lead | Lega | FI | FdI | Other |
| 4 October 2021 | Election result | - | 36.5 | 3.4 | 7.3 | 5.7 | 10.1 | 7.7 | 3.8 | 12.6 | 4.9 | 7.9 | - | 23.9 |
| 3–8 Sep 2021 | Quorum | 806 | 40.8 | 8.1 | — | — | 11.2 | 16.3 | 5.8 | 11.9 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 34.7 | 24.5 |
| 24–26 Aug 2021 | BiDiMedia | 822 | 35.9 | 5.1 | 10.4 | 5.3 | 7.1 | 8.3 | 3.5 | 13.6 | 2.7 | 8.1 | 23.0 | 24.8 |
| 19–24 Apr 2021 | BiDiMedia | 1,338 | 33.2 | 1.9 | 12.0 | 10.7 | 9.6 | 3.1 | 11.1 | 5.3 | 7.0 | 6.1 | 26.0 | 22.1 |
| 16–19 Sep 2020 | Quorum | 1,010 | 38.6 | 3.0 | 9.4 | 4.1 | 18.9 | 18.9 | 8.3 | 5.6 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 40.0 | 19.7 |
| 5 June 2016 | Election result | – | 35.5 | 16.6 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 10.3 | 6.3 | 2.4 | 14.3 | 1.4 | – | 18.9 |

## Results

Summary of the 2021 Bologna City Council election results :
| Candidates | Candidates | 1st round | 1st round | Leader's seats | Parties | Parties | Votes | % | Seats |
| Candidates | Candidates | Votes | % | Leader's seats | Parties | Parties | Votes | % | Seats |
| | Matteo Lepore | 94,565 | 61.90 | – | | Democratic Party | 53,486 | 36.50 | 16 |
| | Matteo Lepore | 94,565 | 61.90 | – | | Civic Coalition for Bologna | 10,722 | 7.32 | 3 |
| | Matteo Lepore | 94,565 | 61.90 | – | | Matteo Lepore for Mayor | 9,303 | 6.35 | 3 |
| | Matteo Lepore | 94,565 | 61.90 | – | | You Also Count | 8,376 | 5.72 | 2 |
| | Matteo Lepore | 94,565 | 61.90 | – | | Five Star Movement | 4,938 | 3.37 | 1 |
| | Matteo Lepore | 94,565 | 61.90 | – | | Green Europe | 4,113 | 2.81 | 1 |
| | Matteo Lepore | 94,565 | 61.90 | – | | Italian Socialist Party – Volt | 1,335 | 0.91 | – |
| | Matteo Lepore | 94,565 | 61.90 | – | Total | Total | 92,273 | 62.96 | 25 |
| | Fabio Battistini | 45,282 | 29.64 | 1 | | Brothers of Italy | 18,514 | 12.63 | 5 |
| | Fabio Battistini | 45,282 | 29.64 | 1 | | League | 11,346 | 7.74 | 3 |
| | Fabio Battistini | 45,282 | 29.64 | 1 | | Battistini For Mayor | 6,640 | 4.53 | 1 |
| | Fabio Battistini | 45,282 | 29.64 | 1 | | Forza Italia – Union of the Centre | 5,561 | 3.79 | 1 |
| | Fabio Battistini | 45,282 | 29.64 | 1 | | The People of the Family | 598 | 0.41 | – |
| | Fabio Battistini | 45,282 | 29.64 | 1 | Total | Total | 42,659 | 29.11 | 10 |
| | Marta Collot | 3,801 | 2.49 | – | | Power to the People | 3,355 | 2.29 | – |
| | Stefano Sermenghi | 3,053 | 2.00 | – | | BFC – Bologna Civic Forum | 1,599 | 1.09 | – |
| | Stefano Sermenghi | 3,053 | 2.00 | – | | Italexit – Civic List for Bologna | 1,075 | 0.73 | – |
| | Stefano Sermenghi | 3,053 | 2.00 | – | Total | Total | 2,674 | 1.82 | – |
| | Andrea Tosatto | 2,497 | 1.63 | – | | 3V Movement | 2,428 | 1.66 | – |
| | Dora Palumbo | 2,433 | 1.59 | – | | United Left – Communist Refoundation – PCI | 2,144 | 1.46 | – |
| | Federico Bacchiocchi | 625 | 0.41 | – | | Workers' Communist Party | 597 | 0.41 | – |
| | Luca Labanti | 508 | 0.33 | – | | August 24th Movement | 423 | 0.29 | – |
| Total | Total | 152.764 | 100.00 | 1 | | | 146,553 | 100.00 | 35 |
| Source: Ministry of the Interior Archived 2021-10-05 at the Wayback Machine ||||||||||
Notes: if a defeated candidate for Mayor obtained over 3% of votes, he/she is automatically elected communal councilor (Battistini); 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).
Popular vote
PD
36.50%
FdI
12.63%
Lega
7.74%
CC
7.32%
Lepore
6.35%
ATC
5.72%
Battistini
4.53%
FI
3.79%
M5S
3.37%
EV
2.81%
PaP
2.29%
M3V
1.66%
SU
1.46%
Others
3.83% :
Mayor
Lepore
61.90%
Battistini
29.64%
Collot
2.49%
Sermenghi
2.00%
Tosatto
1.63%
Palumbo
1.59%
Bacchiocchi
0.41%
Labanti
0.33% :
Seats summary
Centre-left
69.44%
Centre-right
30.56% :