List of mayors of Potenza

Mayor of the capital of Basilicata, Italy

Mayor of Potenza

Sindaco di Potenza

Incumbent
Mario Guarente (Lega)
since 20 June 2019

Appointer| Popular election
Term length| 5 years, renewable once
Formation| 1860
Website| Official website

The mayor of Potenza is an elected politician who, along with the Potenza City Council, is accountable for the strategic government of Potenza in Basilicata, Italy, capital city of the region. During the First Italian Republic period, the city was a stronghold of Christian Democracy, and Emilio Colombo, who held the mayoralty office in 1952, was prime minister of Italy from 1970 to 1972. During the Second Italian Republic, it was a stronghold of the centre-left coalition and its centrist and Christian-democratic parties.

In 2014, Dario De Luca of Brothers of Italy, a heir of the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement and the post-fascist National Alliance, became the first right-wing mayor of Potenza in the history of the Italian Republic. In 2019, after initially announcing his re-election bid, De Luca did not run for re-election. Instead, he was replaced by Mario Guarente of the traditional Northern Italian party Lega, which was born in the 1980s as a regionalist, Padanian nationalist, and separatist party but that since 2017 and under Matteo Salvini's leadership had become more of a right-wing populist and nationalist party,[nb 1] and obtained successes in Southern Italy, including Potenza's mayoralty. In 2024, the centre-right coalition did not re-nominate Guarente as candidate due to his unpopularity.

## Overview[edit]

According to the Constitution of Italy, the mayor of Potenza is member of the City Council. The mayor is elected by the population of Potenza, who also elect the members of the City Council, controlling the mayor's policy guidelines and is able to enforce his resignation by a motion of no confidence. The mayor is entitled to appoint and release the members of his government. Since 1995, the mayor is elected directly by Potenza's electorate; in all mayoral elections in Italy in cities with a population higher than 15,000, the voters express a direct choice for the mayor or an indirect choice voting for the party of the candidate's coalition. The election of the City Council is based on a direct choice for the candidate with a preference vote, and the candidate with the majority of the preferences is elected, while the number of the seats for each party is determined proportionally. If no candidate receives at least 50% of votes, the top two candidates go to a second round after two weeks.[1][2][3]

From 1946 to 1995, the mayor of Potenza, which was elected by the City Council, was always a member of Christian Democracy, the ruling party of post-war Italy; as of 2024, of those who held the office of mayor of Potenza, Emilio Colombo (1952) is the only one to be a former prime minister of Italy (1970–1972). In the 1995 Italian local elections, Domenico Potenza of the Democratic Party of the Left became the first mayor of Potenza through direct elections. Up until the 2014 Italian local elections, the office was always held by a member of the centre-left coalition. Overturning the result of the first round, Dario De Luca of Brothers of Italy was elected mayor of Potenza on 8 June 2014 and took office on 23 June 2014.[4][5][6] In an upset, he was the first representative of Brothers of Italy to be elected mayor in a provincial capital, the first right-wing mayor of Potenza, and the first centre-right coalition's win.[7][8] For the 2019 Italian local elections, after De Luca initially announced his re-election bid,[9][10][11] he ultimately decided not to run for a second term, and he was succeeded by fellow centre-right coalition member Mario Guarente,[12][13] who took office on 20 June 2019.[14] A member of Lega, which since Matteo Salvini's leadership had underwent ideological changes that allowed it to gain a significant number of votes in Southern Italy, Guarente was elected in the runoff on 9 June 2019, defeating his left-wing opponent Valerio Tramutoli of Possible by 200 votes,[15] and took office on 20 June 2019.[16] For the 2024 Italian local elections, Guarente did not seek re-election,[17][18][19] having been one of the least popular mayors.[20]

## Italian Republic (since 1946)[edit]

### City Council election (1946–1995)[edit]

From 1946 to 1995, the mayor of Potenza was elected by the City Council.

| Mayor  | Term start  | Term end  | Party

|
|
|
|

1  | Pietro Scognamiglio  | 1946  | 1948  | Christian Democracy
2  | Giuseppe Sivilia  | 1948  | 1949  | Christian Democracy
(1)  | Pietro Scognamiglio  | 1949  | 1950  | Christian Democracy
3  | Emilio Colombo | 14 June 1952  | 16 December 1952  | Christian Democracy
4  | Eugenio Brienza  | 16 December 1952  | January 1955  | Christian Democracy
5  | Vincenzo Solimena  | January 1955  | 1960  | Christian Democracy
6  | Giovanni Messina  | 1960  | 1964  | Christian Democracy
7  | Francesco Petrullo  | 1965  | 1966  | Christian Democracy
8  | Imperio Napolitano  | 1966  | 1966  | Christian Democracy
(7)  | Francesco Petrullo  | 1966  | 1970  | Christian Democracy
9  | Antonio Bellino  | 1970  | 1975  | Christian Democracy
10  | Raffaello Antonio Mecca  | 1975  | 29 September 1980  | Christian Democracy
11  | Gaetano Fierro  | 29 September 1980  | 17 June 1990  | Christian Democracy
12  | Rocco Sampogna  | 17 June 1990  | 7 May 1995  | Christian Democracy

### Direct election (since 1995)[edit]

Since 1995, under provisions of new local administration law, the mayor of Potenza is chosen by direct election.

| Mayor  | Term start  | Term end  | Party

|
|
|
|

13 | Domenico Potenza  | 7 May 1995  | 13 June 1999  | Democratic Party of the Left
(11)  | Gaetano Fierro  | 13 June 1999  | 14 July 2004  | Union of Democrats for Europe
14 | Vito Santarsiero | 14 July 2004  | 7 June 2009  | The Daisy
7 June 2009  | 23 June 2014  | Democratic Party
15 | Dario De Luca | 23 June 2014  | 20 June 2019  | Brothers of Italy
16 | Mario Guarente | 20 June 2019  | Incumbent | Lega
17 | Vincenzo Telesca | Elected | Democratic Party

## See also[edit]

* List of mayors of Matera

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ For an overview of the party's history and evolution, from Lega Nord to Lega per Salvini Premier, see "La Lega compie 40 anni, la storia del partito da Bossi a Salvini. Foto". Sky TG24 (in Italian). 11 April 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.

## References[edit]

1. ^ Cipolla, Alessandro (16 May 2024). "Elezioni amministrative Potenza 2024: data, candidati, liste e sondaggi". Money.it (in Italian). Retrieved 31 May 2024.
2. ^ Casula, Giulia (25 May 2024). "Elezioni Potenza 2024: date e orari, candidati e ultimi sondaggi sulle comunali". Fanpage.it (in Italian). Retrieved 31 May 2024.
3. ^ "Elezioni Comunali 2024, come e dove si vota: cosa sapere". Sky TG24 (in Italian). 29 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
4. ^ "Dario De Luca". Dipartimento per gli Affari Interni e Territoriali (in Italian). 2014. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
5. ^ "Dario De Luca". Comune di Potenza (in Italian). 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
6. ^ "Comune di Potenza – Basilicata – Ballottaggio – Elezioni comunali 25 maggio 2014". La Repubblica. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
7. ^ "Dario De Luca". Agenzia ANSA (in Italian). 9 June 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
8. ^ "Dario De Luca è il primo sindaco di centrodestra di Potenza". Libero (in Italian). 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 31 December 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
9. ^ "Indiscreflash! Dario De Luca si ricandida a sindaco di Potenza?". Angeloma (in Italian). 28 March 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
10. ^ Pesarini, Rocco (29 March 2019). "Intervista a Dario De Luca: si ricandida?". Talenti Lucani – Passaggio a Sud (in Italian). Retrieved 31 May 2024.
11. ^ "Intervista a De Luca: 'Mi ricandido perché non voglio deludere chi mi ha chiesto di continuare'". Ufficio Stampa Basilicata (in Italian). 16 April 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
12. ^ "Potenza, proclamazione e passaggio di consegne per il nuovo sindaco Guarente". Basilicata24 (in Italian). 20 June 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
13. ^ Moliterni, Ferdinando (20 June 2019). "Finita l'era De Luca, il tricolore a Guarente". Le Cronache Lucane (in Italian). Retrieved 31 May 2024.
14. ^ "Potenza, Mario Guarente si insedia ufficialmente come sindaco". La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno (in Italian). 20 June 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
15. ^ "Elezioni comunali a Potenza, chi sono i candidati sindaco". Sky TG24 (in Italian). 31 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
16. ^ "Mario Guarente". Dipartimento per gli Affari Interni e Territoriali (in Italian). 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
17. ^ "Comunali a Potenza, Guarente vacilla, si avvicina una rinuncia alla candidatura". Il Quotidiano del Sud (in Italian). 27 April 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
18. ^ "Clamoroso ma non troppo... Guarente abdica e Francesco Fanelli sarà il prossimo candidato sindaco per il centro destra al Comune di Potenza". Tutto Potenza (in Italian). 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
19. ^ "Comunali Potenza, Guarente (Lega) rinuncia, si va verso candidatura Fanelli". La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno (in Italian). 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
20. ^ Amato, Leo (8 May 2024). "Comunali Potenza, Guarente rinuncia al bis, tocca a Fanelli". Il Quotidiano del Sud (in Italian). Retrieved 8 May 2024.

## External links[edit]

* Elenco sindaci di Potenza at Comune di Potenza (in Italian)

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Mayors of provincial capitals of Italy

Agrigento
Francesco Miccichè (centre-right)
Alessandria
Giorgio Abonante (PD)
Ancona
Daniele Silvetti (FI)
Andria
Giovanna Bruno (PD)
Arezzo
Alessandro Ghinelli (centre-right)
Ascoli Piceno
Marco Fioravanti (FdI)
Asti
Maurizio Rasero (FI)
Avellino
Laura Nargi (I)
Barletta
Cosimo Cannito (centre-right)
Belluno
Oscar De Pellegrin (centre-right)
Benevento
Clemente Mastella (NC)
Bergamo
Elena Carnevali (PD)
Biella
Marzio Olivero (FdI)
Bolzano
Renzo Caramaschi (PD)
Brescia
Laura Castelletti (centre-left)
Brindisi
Giuseppe Marchionna (centre-right)
Caltanissetta
Walter Tesauro (UdC)
Campobasso
Marialuisa Forte (centre-left)
Carbonia
Pietro Morittu (PD)
Caserta
Carlo Marino (PD)
Catanzaro
Nicola Fiorita (centre-left)
Chieti
Diego Ferrara (PD)
Como
Alessandro Rapinese (I)
Cosenza
Franz Caruso (PSI)
Cremona
Andrea Virgilio (PD)
Crotone
Vincenzo Voce (I)
Cuneo
Patrizia Manassero (PD)
Enna
Maurizio Dipietro (IV)
Fermo
Paolo Calcinaro (I)
Ferrara
Alan Fabbri (LN)
Foggia
Maria Aida Episcopo (centre-left)
Forlì
Gian Luca Zattini (LN)
Frosinone
Riccardo Mastrangeli (FI)
Gorizia
Rodolfo Ziberna (FI)
Grosseto
Antonfrancesco Vivarelli Colonna (centre-right)
Imperia
Claudio Scajola (centre-right)
Isernia
Piero Castrataro (centre-left)
La Spezia
Pierluigi Peracchini (CI)
L'Aquila
Pierluigi Biondi (FdI)
Latina
Matilde Celentano (FdI)
Lecce
Adriana Poli Bortone (IS)
Lecco
Mauro Gattinoni (centre-left)
Livorno
Luca Salvetti (centre-left)
Lodi
Andrea Furegato (PD)
Lucca
Mario Pardini (centre-right)
Macerata
Sandro Parcaroli (LN)
Mantua
Mattia Palazzi (PD)
Massa
Francesco Persiani (LN)
Matera
Domenico Bennardi (M5S)
Modena
Massimo Mezzetti (PD)
Monza
Paolo Pilotto (PD)
Novara
Alessandro Canelli (LN)
Nuoro
Andrea Soddu (I)
Oristano
Massimiliano Sanna (RS)
Padua
Sergio Giordani (centre-left)
Parma
Michele Guerra (IC)
Pavia
Michele Lissia (PD)
Perugia
Vittoria Ferdinandi (centre-left)
Pesaro
Andrea Biancani (PD)
Pescara
Carlo Masci (FI)
Piacenza
Katia Tarasconi (PD)
Pisa
Michele Conti (LN)
Pistoia
Alessandro Tomasi (FdI)
Pordenone
Alessandro Ciriani (centre-right)
Potenza
Vincenzo Telesca (PD)
Prato
Ilaria Bugetti (PD)
Ragusa
Giuseppe Cassì (I)
Ravenna
Michele De Pascale (PD)
Reggio Emilia
Marco Massari (PD)
Rieti
Daniele Sinibaldi (FdI)
Rimini
Jamil Sadegholvaad (PD)
Rovigo
Valeria Cittadin (centre-right)
Salerno
Vincenzo Napoli (PD)
Sassari
Giuseppe Mascia (PD)
Savona
Marco Russo (PD)
Siena
Nicoletta Fabio (centre-right)
Sondrio
Marco Scaramellini (LN)
Syracuse
Francesco Italia (Az)
Taranto
Rinaldo Melucci (I)
Teramo
Gianguido D'Alberto (centre-left)
Terni
Stefano Bandecchi (AP)
Trani
Amedeo Bottaro (PD)
Trapani
Giacomo Tranchida (PD)
Trento
Franco Ianeselli (centre-left)
Treviso
Mario Conte (LN)
Trieste
Roberto Dipiazza (FI)
Udine
Alberto Felice De Toni (centre-left)
Varese
Davide Galimberti (PD)
Verbania
Giandomenico Albertella (I)
Vercelli
Andrea Corsaro (FI)
Verona
Damiano Tommasi (centre-left)
Vibo Valentia
Enzo Romeo (centre-left)
Vicenza
Giacomo Possamai (PD)
Viterbo
Chiara Frontini (I)

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Mayors of regional capitals of Italy

Ancona
Daniele Silvetti (FI)
Aosta
Gianni Nuti (centre-left)
Bari
Antonio Decaro (PD)
Bologna
Matteo Lepore (PD)
Cagliari
Massimo Zedda (PP)
Campobasso
Roberto Gravina (M5S)
Catanzaro
Sergio Abramo (CI)
Florence
Sara Funaro (PD)
Genoa
Marco Bucci (centre-right)
L'Aquila
Pierluigi Biondi (FdI)
Milan
Giuseppe Sala (centre-left)
Naples
Gaetano Manfredi (centre-left)
Palermo
Roberto Lagalla (UdC)
Perugia
Vittoria Ferdinandi (centre-left)
Potenza
Mario Guarente (LN)
Rome
Roberto Gualtieri (PD)
Turin
Stefano Lo Russo (PD)
Trento
Franco Ianeselli (centre-left)
Trieste
Roberto Dipiazza (FI)
Venice
Luigi Brugnaro (CI)
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