# Politics of Calabria

The Politics of Calabria, Italy takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democracy, whereby the President of Regional Government is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Regional Government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Regional Council.

## Executive branch

The Regional Government (Giunta Regionale) is presided by the President of the Region (Presidente della Regione), who is elected for a five-year term, and is composed by the President and the Ministers (Assessori), who are currently 11, including a Vice President (Vice Presidente).

### List of presidents
#### Presidents elected by the Regional Council (1970–2000)

| # | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Legislature |
| 1 | Antonio Guarasci (1918–1974) | 9 June 1970 | 2 October 1974 | DC | I (1970) |
| 2 | Aldo Ferrara (1921–1997) | 2 October 1974 | 17 June 1975 | DC | I (1970) |
| 3 | Pasquale Perugini (1926–1996) | 17 June 1975 | 1 January 1976 | DC | II (1975) |
| (2) | Aldo Ferrara (1921–1997) | 1 January 1976 | 10 June 1980 | DC | II (1975) |
| 4 | Bruno Dominijanni (1922–2004) | 10 June 1980 | 14 May 1985 | PSI | III (1980) |
| 5 | Francesco Principe (1918–2008) | 14 May 1985 | 30 December 1987 | PSI | IV (1985) |
| 6 | Rosario Olivo (b. 1940) | 30 December 1987 | 7 May 1990 | PSI | IV (1985) |
| 6 | Rosario Olivo (b. 1940) | 7 May 1990 | 1 February 1992 | PSI | V (1990) |
| 7 | Guido Rhodio (1935–2023) | 1 February 1992 | 10 August 1994 | DC | V (1990) |
| 8 | Donato Veraldi (b. 1941) | 10 August 1994 | 14 June 1995 | PPI | V (1990) |
| 9 | Giuseppe Nisticò (b. 1941) | 14 June 1995 | 9 May 1998 | FI | VI (1995) |
| 10 | Giovanbattista Caligiuri (b. 1944) | 11 August 1998 | 22 January 1999 | FI | VI (1995) |
| 11 | Luigi Meduri (b. 1942) | 22 January 1999 | 18 May 2000 | PPI | VI (1995) |

#### Directly-elected presidents (since 2000)

| N. | President | Term of office | Term of office | Tenure (Years and days) | Party | Composition | Legislature |
| 12 | Giuseppe Chiaravalloti (1934–) | 18 May 2000 | 2 May 2005 | 4 years, 349 days | Forza Italia | FI–AN–CDC–CDU–PS | VII (2000) |
| 13 | Agazio Loiero (1940– ) | 2 May 2005 | 12 April 2010 | 4 years, 345 days | The Daisy / Democratic Party | DS–DL–UDEUR–SDI–PRC–PdCI | VIII (2005) |
| 14 | Giuseppe Scopelliti (1966–) | 12 April 2010 | 29 May 2014 | 4 years, 47 days | The People of Freedom | PdL–UDC–NPSI–UDEUR | IX (2010) |
| 15 | Mario Oliverio (1953– ) | 9 December 2014 | 15 February 2020 | 5 years, 77 days | Democratic Party | PD–ApI–SEL | X (2014) |
| 16 | Jole Santelli (1968–2020) | 15 February 2020 | 15 October 2020 | 241 days | Forza Italia | FI–Lega–FdI–UDC | XI (2020) |
| 17 | Roberto Occhiuto (1969–) | 29 October 2021 | incumbent | 2 years, 346 days | Forza Italia | FI–FdI–Lega–CI–UDC | XII (2021) |
* ↑ Resigned after a corruption scandal. His deputy Antonella Stasi (PdL) held the office till a new regional election was called.
* ↑ Died in office. Her deputy Antonino Spirlì (League) held the office till a new regional election was called.

## Legislative branch

The Regional Council of Calabria (Consiglio Regionale della Calabria) is composed of 50 members. 40 councillors are elected in provincial constituencies by proportional representation using the largest remainder method with a Droop quota and open lists, while 10 councillors (elected in bloc) come from a "regional list", including the President-elect. One seat is reserved for the candidate who comes second. If a coalition wins more than 50% of the total seats in the council with PR, only 5 candidates from the regional list will be chosen and the number of those elected in provincial constituencies will be 45. If the winning coalition receives less than 40% of votes, special seats are added to the council to ensure a large majority for the President's coalition. Parties obtaining less than 4% receive no seats, no matter if they are in coalition with larger parties or not.
The council is elected for a five-year term, but, if the President suffers a vote of no confidence, resigns or dies, under the simul stabunt, simul cadent clause introduced in 1999 (literally they will stand together or they will fall together), also the council is dissolved and a snap election is called.

## Local government
### Municipalities

Calabria is also divided in 404 comuni (municipalities), which have even more history, having been established in the Middle Ages when they were the main places of government.

#### Provincial capitals

| Municipality | Inhabitants | Mayor | Party | Election |
| Catanzaro | 89,364 | Sergio Abramo | Forza Italia | 2017 |
| Cosenza | 69,484 | Mario Occhiuto | Independent (centre-right) | 2016 |
| Crotone | 58,881 | Vincenzo Voce | Civic List | 2020 |
| Reggio Calabria | 180,817 | Giuseppe Falcomatà | Democratic Party | 2014 |
| Vibo Valentia | 33,357 | Maria Limardo | Forza Italia | 2019 |

#### Other municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants

| Municipality | Inhabitants | Mayor | Party | Election |
| Corigliano-Rossano | 74,848 | Flavio Stasi | Independent (centre-left) | 2019 |
| Lamezia Terme | 70,336 | Paolo Mascaro | Independent (centre-right) | 2015 |
| Rende | 33,555 | Marcello Manna | Civic List | 2019 |
| Castrovillari | 22,515 | Domenico Lo Polito | Independent (centre-left) | 2015 |
| Acri | 21,458 | Pino Capalbo | Democratic Party | 2017 |
| Gioia Tauro | 20,089 | Aldo Alessio | Independent (centre-left) | 2019 |

## Parties and elections
### Latest regional election

In the latest regional election, which took place on 26 January 2020, Jole Santelli of Forza Italia was elected president by a landslide, after that in the previous election in 2014 the Democratic Party had won by a landslide.
26 January 2020 Calabrian regional election results :
| Candidates | Candidates | Votes | % | Seats | Parties | Parties | Votes | % | Seats |
| | Jole Santelli | 449,705 | 55.29 | 1 | | Forza Italia | 96,067 | 12.34 | 5 |
| | Jole Santelli | 449,705 | 55.29 | 1 | | League | 95,400 | 12.25 | 4 |
| | Jole Santelli | 449,705 | 55.29 | 1 | | Brothers of Italy | 84,507 | 10.85 | 4 |
| | Jole Santelli | 449,705 | 55.29 | 1 | | Jole Santelli for President | 65,816 | 8.45 | 2 |
| | Jole Santelli | 449,705 | 55.29 | 1 | | Union of the Centre | 53,250 | 6.84 | 2 |
| | Jole Santelli | 449,705 | 55.29 | 1 | | House of Freedoms | 49,778 | 6.39 | 2 |
| | Jole Santelli | 449,705 | 55.29 | 1 | Total | Total | 444,818 | 57.13 | 19 |
| | Filippo Callipo | 245,154 | 30.14 | 1 | | Democratic Party | 118,249 | 15.19 | 5 |
| | Filippo Callipo | 245,154 | 30.14 | 1 | | Io Resto in Calabria | 61,699 | 7.92 | 3 |
| | Filippo Callipo | 245,154 | 30.14 | 1 | | Progressive Democrats | 47,650 | 6.12 | 2 |
| | Filippo Callipo | 245,154 | 30.14 | 1 | Total | Total | 227,598 | 29.23 | 10 |
| | Francesco Aiello | 59,796 | 7.35 | – | | Five Star Movement | 48,784 | 6.27 | – |
| | Francesco Aiello | 59,796 | 7.35 | – | | Civic Calabria | 8,544 | 1.10 | – |
| | Francesco Aiello | 59,796 | 7.35 | – | Total | Total | 57,328 | 7.36 | – |
| | Carlo Tansi | 58,700 | 7.22 | – | | Treasure Calabria | 40,299 | 5.18 | – |
| | Carlo Tansi | 58,700 | 7.22 | – | | Free Calabria | 5,329 | 0.68 | – |
| | Carlo Tansi | 58,700 | 7.22 | – | | Clean Calabria | 3,230 | 0.41 | – |
| | Carlo Tansi | 58,700 | 7.22 | – | Total | Total | 48,858 | 6.28 | – |
| Blank and invalid votes | Blank and invalid votes | 27,208 | 3.24 |
| Total candidates | Total candidates | 840,563 | 100.00 | 2 | Total parties | Total parties | 778,602 | 100.00 | 29 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 1,895,990 | 44.33 |
| Source: Ministry of the Interior – Election in Calabria Archived 2020-01-26 at the Wayback Machine ||||||||||