The May Regional Elections: Consolidation of the Tripolar System

The regional elections held on 31 May 2015 involved 7 of the 15 ordinary statute regions. These elections, which completed the electoral cycle that had begun in 2013 for the renewal of the legislative assemblies and presidents of the regions, provided further proof at the regional level of the changes taking place in the Italian political-party system. Looking beyond the competition for the presidency of the region, it was the results achieved by the parties and by the coalitions that revealed a change with the recent past, that is, the end of bipolarism and the affirmation of a third pole even within the regional political systems. This chapter will analyze the main features of the election campaign, the political offer from the point of view of both the candidates and the lists and coalitions, and the election results, with particular reference to the voter turnout and to the contests for the presidencies. It will then examine the competition between the coalitions and the lists, followed by a summation of the main changes identified in these elections.