Anthony M. Quattrone
Official campaign poster: Luigi de Magistris Mayor "for" Naples
New mayor wins with 65% of vote
A former magistrate, Luigi de Magistris, is the new mayor of Naples. He has been elected today during a runoff between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes during the first round held two weeks ago. He defeated Gianni Lettieri, an entrepreneur representing a center right coalition supported by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The new mayor is a member of the European Parliament where he is the Chair of the Budgetary Control Committee. He was elected in 2009 representing the Italia dei Valori (Italy of Values) party, which is affiliated with the Alliance of Democrats and Liberals for Europe formation in the European Parliament.
De Magistris is a 43 old native of Naples. He is married to the former Maria Teresa Dolce and has two sons. He became a public prosecutor in 1995, with assignments in Naples from 1998 to 2002, and as deputy public prosecutor in Catanzaro, Italy, from 2002 to 2009. He entered the European Parliament as the second most voted Italian politician after Silvio Berlusconi. During the course of his career as public prosecutor, his investigations have frequently run into political roadblocks leading to his transfer and attempt to subject him to internal disciplinary measures. One of his investigations caused serious controversy leading to the resignation of Clemente Mastella, the Italian Minister of Justice, in 2008, causing the fall of the center-left government led by Romano Prodi.
Luigi de Magistris decided to run for the seat of mayor of Naples after that the center left primaries were cancelled last January due to alleged irregularities on the part of supporters of the very influential politician Antonio Bassolino, an ex-communist former mayor of Naples and former governor of the Campania Region. De Magistris announced his candidacy for mayor in February and he was supported by a coalition of three parties, his own Italia dei Valori, the Federation of the Left, and the relatively new Partito del Sud (Party of the South). A citizens’ list also, “Napoli è tua” (Naples is yours) supported him.
During the two-round runoff competition, Luigi de Magistris obtained approximately 28 percent of the vote, second to Gianni Lettieri with approximately 38 percent. The candidate of the center left, Mario Morcone scored slightly below 20 percent and the candidate for the center, Professor Raimondo Paquino scored approximately 9 percent. During the negotiations between the different coalitions, De Magistris refused an official agreement with the center-left, but appealed to their electorate. He also courted in public Paquino, obtaining his informal support. In the end, he was able to muster enough support to win with a striking 65 percent against 35 for his opponent, Lettieri.
De Magistris ran on a law and order platform, combined with proposals for re-launching Naples as a major European capital, ridding it of garbage and creating the premises for major investments. His electorate includes citizens of the whole political spectrum ranging from the far left to conservatives concerned with ramping insecurity and disorder. De Magistris will be able to count on a very solid majority in City Hall where at least 32 council members out of 48 will support his program, and another 4 will be neutral. The center right opposition will be able to count on only 12 votes.
Now de Magistris will need to immediately deliver on his promise to rid the city of garbage and to implement modern waste collection and disposal systems in line with the high environmental standards that he and his coalition have advocated during the election campaign.
Hope this will lead to a real change… not the kind of change we are used to see in Naples… I mean the faces may change but the situation remain the same. It’s getting frustrating…
I also hope so! Naples is an extraordinary city and it needs to stand up again!
Couldn’t agree more! It’d be awesome not to see Naples underappreciated anymore, hopefully in a not too distant future. However a little effort by everyone would be nice too. Reducing the widespread ignorance and incivility, to me, it’s the first and the most important thing to do.
I think the de Magistris’ Orange Revolution will lead to a real change. The people of Naples has really turned the corner and this is a clear and strong signal for both the berlusconian right, both for the bassolinian power system.
Naples woke up from sleep and expects by the new mayor a transparent and competent administration, that will be not afraid to make tough choices.
Naples can really become a more just and peaceful city, where caring and enhancing environment can bring important results. It depends on the new mayor, but also by those who will stop to delegate and will begin to actively participate in the rebirth of Naples.
Thank you for this inclusive and well written piece. We all hope for a fresh awakening of hope and pride in Napoli. It is about time. I well remember July, 1994 when Napoli hosted world leaders for their G7 summit. Excitement and pride across Napoli seemed to blossom like dormant desert seeds after a soaking rain. Under the leadership of another new Mayor, Antonio Bassolino, the hard work of cleaning up the city, removing graffiti from our monuments and buildings, and instituting long needed changes in municipal government, security and supervision moved ahead with astounding speed.
It was a great period . . . but in the ensuing 17 years, Naples is once again plagued by rampant violent crime, mountains of decomposing garbage in the streets, and a long, sad list of other municipal malaise.
This is, indeed, a perfect time for a tough, experienced defender of the law, with a clear understanding of the needs of average working people, to step in and take charge. Like what was accomplished in 1994, Napoli can again attack not only the physical problems of the city, but the crippling political graft and corruption that makes Neapolitans throw up their hands and just give up.
The youthful Luigi de Magistris has assumed leadership of Napoli at a critical time. If citizens will once again become proactive instead of remaining bitter and detached, Napoli can once again show the world its beauty and historic greatness.
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I’m very happy that De Magistris is the new Mayor of Naples and I’m confident that he is the right person to lead this town toward the position that we deserve in Europe and in the rest of the world. I’m also convinced that he will be able to solve the many problems this city has. Forza Luigi!!!
Hi Anthony,
I was excited when I found your site as I have been doing research on Naples and its been tough finding quality coverage on this side of the Atlantic. If possible, I would love to speak with you to get your thoughts on the waste emergency situation over there as well as the new mayor. If its okay with you, what’s the best way to get in touch with you?
FYI, I also read your bio. I grew up in Maryland, went to school in D.C., my family now resides in New Jersey and I live in New York City…sounds like I should move to Naples next!
Excellent news. I hope under his leadeship the beautiful city of Naples will rediscover her identity and will be a better place to live and visit.As a Turco-Napolitano I am really looking forward do it.
Sevgili Senan ,
Temmuz basinda Napoliye korkarak geldik ama aklimiz Napolide kalarak geri donduk bence harika bir sehir biraz bakimla Dunyanin en guzel kentlerinden biri olabilir..
Bulent Tandogan MD
Istanbul
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it is undoubtedly true that Bassolino was a former communist, but so he was also when he was elected mayor of Naples and governor of Campania: by that time, he had already moved to much, much moderate centre-left positions (I’m not saying this is good nor bad)
De Magistris has been a bad Prosecutor and now it the worst Mayor that there had ever been in this city.
In the entire story of The italian Repubblic, whoever had ever managed this city, it always payed salaries to the public employees, but De Magistris didn’t.
In fact at the second month of mandate mayoralty, he haven’t been able to give to honest workers their money.
I’d like to remind that when he was a Prosecutor, he win no case, going throught about nine million of Euros.
He told to people only lies.
Yesterday for helping us he hiked parking fare. Now parking the car cost tree point fifty euros a hour.
De Magistris go away, we don’t want you yet.
al sindaco di napoli luigi de magistris. Ma ti sei mai fatto un giro per queste strade: via d’antona – via ianfolla -la strada del frullone-fanno schifo e non sono di una citta’ europea , ma di una citta’ del terzo mondo- ogni giorno le faccio per andare al lavoro e e tra buche e rappezzi fatti in modo animalesco ho dovuto cambiare le gomme e gli ammortizzatori. Ricordo che la manutenzione delle strade era tenuta dalla ,ditta Romeo, (vedi albergo via marina): e’ stato incuisito e condannato- ma perche’ condannarlo, la sua condanna doveva essere rifare le strade a sue spese, con materiale buono controllato dalla guardia di finanza. solo cosi’ ci potra’ essere onesta’ sui lavori fatti alla pubblica amministrazione. le strade sono servizi che il comune da ai cittadini.
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