# 2021 Milan municipal election

Municipal elections took place in Milan, Italy, on 3 and 4 October 2021 to elect the Mayor and the 48 members of the City Council, as well as the nine presidents and 270 councillors of the nine administrative zones (municipi) in which the municipality is divided, each one having one president and 30 councillors.
Local elections in Italy are usually scheduled between 15 April and 15 June, however on 4 March 2021 the Italian government decided to postpone them to the autumn following a new spike of cases in the coronavirus pandemic.
As a result, incumbent mayor Giuseppe Sala was re-elected for a second five-year term by a landslide.

## Electoral system

The semipresidential voting system is used for all mayoral elections in Italy, in the cities with a population higher than 15,000 inhabitants, for the seventh time. 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.
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 losing 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 coalition

On 7 December 2020, the incumbent mayor Giuseppe Sala announced that he had chosen to run for re-election in 2021 for a second term in office. Sala announced that he would present his electoral program and the lists of his coalition before the end of January, ruling out a possible alliance with the Five Star Movement (M5S). Sala also sought a reconciliation with Green Europe after the rupture following the cutting of the trees in the Bassini Park to make way for a new department of chemistry for the Politecnico di Milano. Spokeswoman Elena Grandi initially announced an autonomous candidacy with its own candidate for mayor, but ultimately they had a meeting with the outgoing mayor to discuss their support for his candidacy.
On 12 March 2021 Sala joined the European Green Party.

## Parties and candidates

This is a partial list of the major parties (and their respective leaders) which participated in the election.
| Political force or alliance | Constituent lists | Constituent lists | Candidate |
| Centre-left coalition | | Democratic Party | Giuseppe Sala |
| Centre-left coalition | | Beppe Sala for Mayor (incl. Art.1, DemoS, VèP) | Giuseppe Sala |
| Centre-left coalition | | United Milan – The Left for Sala (incl. SI, èViva) | Giuseppe Sala |
| Centre-left coalition | | The Reformers – Let's work for Milan with Sala (incl. IV, A, +E, CD, PRI, ALI, others) | Giuseppe Sala |
| Centre-left coalition | | Green Europe | Giuseppe Sala |
| Centre-left coalition | | Healthy Milan | Giuseppe Sala |
| Centre-left coalition | | Volt | Giuseppe Sala |
| Centre-left coalition | | Radical Milan with Sala | Giuseppe Sala |
| Centre-right coalition | | League | Luca Bernardo |
| Centre-right coalition | | Brothers of Italy | Luca Bernardo |
| Centre-right coalition | | Forza Italia | Luca Bernardo |
| Centre-right coalition | | Luca Bernardo for Mayor | Luca Bernardo |
| Centre-right coalition | | Popular Milan (incl. Rin., NcI) | Luca Bernardo |
| Centre-right coalition | | European Liberal Party | Luca Bernardo |
| Five Star Movement | Five Star Movement | Five Star Movement | Layla Pavone |
| Mariani coalition | | Milan in Common (incl. PRC, Pos, RS) | Gabriele Antonio Mariani |
| Mariani coalition | | Civic EnvironmentaList | Gabriele Antonio Mariani |
| Goggi coalition | | Socialists of Milan (incl. PSI, others) | Giorgio Goggi |
| Goggi coalition | | Liberal Milan | Giorgio Goggi |
| Communist Party | Communist Party | Communist Party | Alessandro Pascale |
| Power to the People | Power to the People | Power to the People | Bianca Tedone |
| Gay Party | Gay Party | Gay Party | Mauro Festa |
| Milan Starts Here | Milan Starts Here | Milan Starts Here | Bryant Biavaschi |
| Paragone coalition | | Paragone for Mayor (incl. Italexit, Vox Italy, PdF) | Gianluigi Paragone |
| Paragone coalition | | Great North | Gianluigi Paragone |
| Workers' Communist Party | Workers' Communist Party | Workers' Communist Party | Natale Azzaretto |
| 3V Movement | 3V Movement | 3V Movement | Teodosio De Bonis |
| Italian Communist Party | Italian Communist Party | Italian Communist Party | Marco Muggiani |
Monica Romano, a municipal councillor of the Democratic Party, became the first trans woman elected to political office in Milan in 2021.

## Opinion polls
### Candidates
#### First round

| Date | Polling firm/ Client | Sample size | Sala | Bernardo | Pavone | Others | Undecided | Lead |
| 4 October 2021 | Election result | - | 57.7 | 32.0 | 2.7 | 7.6 | - | 25.7 |
| 13–16 Sep 2021 | SWG | 1,200 | 51.0 | 38.0 | 4.0 | 7.0 | 17.0 | 13.0 |
| 13–15 Sep 2021 | Winpoll | 804 | 55.5 | 35.9 | 3.0 | 5.6 | — | 20.0 |
| 12–15 Sep 2021 | Noto | 1,000 | 48.0 | 36.5 | 4.0 | 11.5 | 27.0 | 11.5 |
| 7–13 Sep 2021 | Ipsos | 1,000 | 49.5 | 34.9 | 6.4 | 9.2 | 25.0 | 14.6 |
| 10–12 Sep 2021 | BiDiMedia | 809 | 48.1 | 39.2 | 4.0 | 8.7 | 21.0 | 8.9 |
| 6–11 Sep 2021 | Tecné | 2,000 | 47.0 | 41.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 42.0 | 6.0 |
| 7–10 Sep 2021 | Quorum | 805 | 50.9 | 37.0 | 5.6 | 6.5 | 47.4 | 13.9 |
| 3–8 Sep 2021 | Quorum | 804 | 51.4 | 37.2 | 4.6 | 6.7 | 47.0 | 14.2 |
| 25–27 Aug 2021 | BiDiMedia | 811 | 47.1 | 39.8 | 5.1 | 8.0 | 28.0 | 7.3 |
| 15–27 Jul 2021 | Winpoll | 800 | 48.3 | 39.6 | 3.4 | 8.7 | — | 8.7 |
| 17–26 Jul 2021 | Ipsos | 1,200 | 47.5 | 38.6 | 7.8 | 6.2 | — | 8.9 |
| 16–19 Jul 2021 | Tecnè | 1,000 | 44.0 | 44.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 43.0 | Tie |
| 13–16 Jul 2021 | Demopolis | 4,220 | 45.5 | 42.5 | 5.0 | 6.0 | — | 3.0 |
| 2–5 Jul 2021 | Demetra | 702 | 46.0 | 45.0 | — | 9.0 | — | 1.0 |
| 18–20 Jun 2021 | Tecnè | 800 | 44.0 | 45.0 | 7.0 | 4.0 | 45.0 | 1.0 |
| 14–20 Feb 2021 | BiDiMedia | 736 | 47.1 | 36.9 | 6.0 | 10.0 | 24.0 | 10.2 |

#### Second round

Sala vs. Bernardo
| Date | Polling firm/ Client | Sample size | Sala | Bernardo | Undecided | Lead |
| 13–16 Sep 2021 | SWG | 1,200 | 57.0 | 43.0 | 13.0 | 14.0 |
| 13–15 Sep 2021 | Winpoll | 804 | 63.7 | 36.3 | 22.0 | 27.4 |
| 7–13 Sep 2021 | Ipsos | 1,000 | 60.0 | 40.0 | 30.0 | 20.0 |
| 10–12 Sep 2021 | BiDiMedia | 809 | 56.5 | 43.5 | 24.0 | 13.0 |
| 3–8 Sep 2021 | Quorum | 804 | 64.2 | 35.8 | — | 28.4 |
| 17–26 Jul 2021 | Ipsos | 1,200 | 56.1 | 43.9 | — | 12.2 |

### Parties

| Date | Polling firm | Sample size | Centre-left | Centre-left | Centre-left | Centre-left | Centre-left | Centre-right | Centre-right | Centre-right | Centre-right | M5S | M5S | PRC | PRC | Others | Undecided | Lead |
| Date | Polling firm | Sample size | PD | +E–A | EV | Art.1-SI | Other | Lega | FI | FdI | Other | M5S | Other | PRC | Other | Others | Undecided | Lead |
| 4 October 2021 | Election result | - | 33.9 | 4.0 | 5.1 | 1.6 | 12.4 | 10.7 | 7.1 | 9.8 | 5.2 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 5.9 | - | 21.5 |
| 13–16 Sep 2021 | SWG | 1,200 | 23.8 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 17.1 | 14.8 | 7.7 | 11.8 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 5.2 | — | 6.0 | 16.0 | 9.0 |
| 13–15 Sep 2021 | Winpoll | 804 | 26.3 | — | 2.8 | — | 21.9 | 14.4 | 8.1 | 9.6 | 8.6 | 3.7 | 3.7 | — | 4.6 | — | 11.9 |
| 7–13 Sep 2021 | Ipsos | 1,000 | 23.5 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 17.6 | 13.1 | 7.1 | 13.1 | 4.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | — | 6.8 | 26.0 | 10.4 |
| 10–12 Sep 2021 | BiDiMedia | 809 | 24.6 | 5.9 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 11.3 | 15.4 | 6.5 | 15.6 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 41.0 | 9.0 |
| 3–8 Sep 2021 | Quorum | 804 | 27.6 | 22.6 | 22.6 | 22.6 | 22.6 | 14.1 | 7.9 | 11.3 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.1 | — | 8.5 | 45.8 | 13.5 |
| 25–27 Aug 2021 | BiDiMedia | 811 | 24.6 | 5.4 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 10.6 | 16.6 | 6.7 | 14.2 | 4.1 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 4.5 | — | 8.0 |
| 14–20 Feb 2021 | BiDiMedia | 736 | 20.0 | 5.6 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 15.2 | 14.8 | 10.2 | 9.8 | 3.6 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 5.7 | 24.0 | 5.2 |
| 5 June 2016 | Election result | - | 29.0 | DNP | DNP | 3.8 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 20.2 | 2.4 | 6.6 | 10.4 | 10.4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2.1 | - | 8.8 |

## Results

Incumbent mayor Beppe Sala, supported by a centre-left coalition, was re-elected in the first round with about 58% of the vote. His main opponent, centre-right candidate Luca Bernardo, got 31% of the votes. The voter turnout was 47.7%, almost 7 percentage points less than in the latest municipal election.
Summary of the 2021 Milan City Council election results :
| Mayoral candidates | Mayoral candidates | Votes | % | Leaders seats | Parties | Parties | Votes | % | Seats |
| | Giuseppe Sala | 277,478 | 57.73 | – | | Democratic Party | 152,200 | 33.86 | 20 |
| | Giuseppe Sala | 277,478 | 57.73 | – | | Beppe Sala for Mayor – We, Milan | 41,135 | 9.15 | 5 |
| | Giuseppe Sala | 277,478 | 57.73 | – | | Green Europe | 19,281 | 5.11 | 3 |
| | Giuseppe Sala | 277,478 | 57.73 | – | | The Reformers – Let's work for Milan with Sala | 18,049 | 4.01 | 2 |
| | Giuseppe Sala | 277,478 | 57.73 | – | | Healthy Milan | 7,367 | 1.64 | 1 |
| | Giuseppe Sala | 277,478 | 57.73 | – | | United Milan – The Left for Sala | 7,012 | 1.56 | – |
| | Giuseppe Sala | 277,478 | 57.73 | – | | Radical Milan with Sala | 4,816 | 1.07 | – |
| | Giuseppe Sala | 277,478 | 57.73 | – | | Volt | 2,502 | 0.56 | – |
| | Giuseppe Sala | 277,478 | 57.73 | – | Total | Total | 256,075 | 56.96 | 31 |
| | Luca Bernardo | 153,637 | 31.97 | 1 | | League | 48,283 | 10.74 | 6 |
| | Luca Bernardo | 153,637 | 31.97 | 1 | | Brothers of Italy | 43,889 | 9.76 | 5 |
| | Luca Bernardo | 153,637 | 31.97 | 1 | | Forza Italia | 31,819 | 7.08 | 3 |
| | Luca Bernardo | 153,637 | 31.97 | 1 | | Luca Bernardo for Mayor | 14,055 | 3.13 | 1 |
| | Luca Bernardo | 153,637 | 31.97 | 1 | | Popular Milan | 8,367 | 1.86 | 1 |
| | Luca Bernardo | 153,637 | 31.97 | 1 | | European Liberal Party | 970 | 0.22 | – |
| | Luca Bernardo | 153,637 | 31.97 | 1 | Total | Total | 147,383 | 32.78 | 16 |
| | Gianluigi Paragone | 14,366 | 2.99 | – | | Paragone for Mayor | 12,366 | 2.75 | – |
| | Gianluigi Paragone | 14,366 | 2.99 | – | | Great North | 608 | 0.14 | – |
| | Gianluigi Paragone | 14,366 | 2.99 | – | Total | Total | 12,974 | 2.89 | – |
| | Layla Pavone | 12,953 | 2.70 | – | | Five Star Movement | 12,517 | 2.78 | – |
| | Gabriele Antonio Mariani | 7,566 | 1.57 | – | | Milan in Common | 4,648 | 1.03 | – |
| | Gabriele Antonio Mariani | 7,566 | 1.57 | – | | Civic EnvironmentaList | 2,527 | 0.56 | – |
| | Gabriele Antonio Mariani | 7,566 | 1.57 | – | Total | Total | 7,175 | 1.60 | – |
| | Giorgio Goggi | 3,402 | 0.71 | – | | Socialists of Milan | 1,984 | 0.44 | – |
| | Giorgio Goggi | 3,402 | 0.71 | – | | Liberal Milan | 838 | 0.19 | – |
| | Giorgio Goggi | 3,402 | 0.71 | – | Total | Total | 2,822 | 0.63 | – |
| | Bianca Tedone | 2,750 | 0.57 | – | | Power to the People | 2,752 | 0.57 | – |
| | Mauro Festa | 2,201 | 0.46 | – | | Gay Party | 2,103 | 0.47 | – |
| | Teodosio De Bonis | 2,162 | 0.45 | – | | 3V Movement | 1,935 | 0.43 | – |
| | Marco Muggiani | 1,385 | 0.29 | – | | Italian Communist Party | 1,439 | 0.32 | – |
| | Alessandro Pascale | 1,297 | 0.27 | – | | Communist Party | 1,203 | 0.27 | – |
| | Bryant Biavaschi | 859 | 0.18 | – | | Milan Starts Here | 809 | 0.18 | – |
| | Natale Azzaretto | 552 | 0.11 | – | | Workers' Communist Party | 556 | 0.12 | – |
| Total | Total | 480,608 | 100.00 | 1 | | | 449,563 | 100.00 | 47 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 480,608 | 97.86 |
| Blank or invalid ballots | Blank or invalid ballots | 10,533 | 2.14 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 491,141 | 47.72 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 1,029,232 | 100.00 |
| Source: Ministry of the Interior Archived 2021-10-16 at the Wayback Machine ||||||||||
Popular vote
PD
33.86%
Lega
10.74%
FdI
9.76%
Sala list
9.15%
FI
7.08%
EV
5.11%
Reformists
4.01%
Bernardo list
3.13%
Others
17.16% :
Popular vote (coalition)
Centre-left
56.96%
Centre-right
32.78% :
Council Seats
PD
41.67%
Lega
12.50%
FdI
10.42%
Sala list
10.42%
FI
6.25%
EV
6.25%
Reformists
4.17%
Others
6.25% :
Council Seats (coalition)
Centre-left
64.58%
Centre-right
35.42% :

## Results in municipi
### Presidents and Councils

Following the 2021 election, all the nine municipi were gained by the centre-left coalition.
Table below shows the results for each municipio with the percentage for each candidate and president elected:
| Municipio | Centre-left | Centre-left | Centre-right | Centre-right | Others | Others | Elected President | Party |
| Municipio | votes | % | votes | % | votes | % | Elected President | Party |
| 1 | 23,017 | 62.48 | 12,149 | 32.98 | 1,671 | 4.54 | Mattia Ibrahim Abdu | PD |
| 2 | 27,427 | 55.36 | 18,637 | 37.60 | 3,488 | 7.04 | Simone Locatelli | PD |
| 3 | 32,477 | 58.23 | 17,343 | 31.10 | 5,949 | 10.67 | Caterina Antola | PD |
| 4 | 30,262 | 54.93 | 19,363 | 35.15 | 5,468 | 9.92 | Stefano Bianco | SS |
| 5 | 22,938 | 54.66 | 14,988 | 35.71 | 4,041 | 9.63 | Natale Carapellese | PD |
| 6 | 30,311 | 58.51 | 16,804 | 32.44 | 4,691 | 9.05 | Santo Minniti | PD |
| 7 | 31,747 | 53.47 | 22,038 | 37.12 | 5,586 | 9.41 | Silvia Fossati | Ind |
| 8 | 36,140 | 57.04 | 21,951 | 34.64 | 5,274 | 8.32 | Giulia Pelucchi | PD |
| 9 | 31,661 | 53.82 | 21,878 | 37.19 | 5,286 | 8.99 | Anita Pirovano | SS |
Source: Municipality of Milan - Electoral Service
Table below shows the seats for each coalition in every Municipal Council:
| Municipio | Centre-left | Centre-right | Others | Total |
| 1 | 21 | 9 | – | 30 |
| 2 | 18 | 12 | – | 30 |
| 3 | 21 | 9 | – | 30 |
| 4 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 30 |
| 5 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 30 |
| 6 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 30 |
| 7 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 30 |
| 8 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 30 |
| 9 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 30 |
| Total | 168 | 95 | 7 | 270 |
Source: Municipality of Milan - Electoral Service