Politics in Calabria

I just experienced my first local election in Calabria. It was interesting, to say the least! Because Davoli is such a small town, politics in Calabria can get very personal very quickly.

Here are my takeaways from the mayoral campaign.

The Background

Earlier this week, we had an election for the mayor (sindaco) of Davoli, both Davoli Superiore and Davoli Marina. Giuseppe Pappaleo was the incumbent mayor, having served for more than 10 years.

There was one other candidate, who happens to be Francesco's cousin.

In addition to voting for mayor, the residents of Davoli also had to vote for assessore, which is like a city council member. There are six (or eight?) assessori who work for the comune (city hall), half women and half men.

Of course, we had cousins and coworkers and friends running. So...like I said, it gets personal quickly.

The Campaign

About a month ago, the candidates announced that they were running. The list announcement was the first social event. Each mayoral candidate held an event in both Davoli Superiore and Marina and introduced his "squadra" (team).

It felt, quite honestly, a bit like a Student Council race. Twelve people introduced themselves and explained why they were passionate about helping Davoli. Some were more well-spoken than others. Some were so nervous, they were about to cry. So, yea, Student Council.

Over the following weeks, candidates visited with friends and neighbors and asked for their votes. A cousin told me that what everyone does is promise to vote for each candidate that approaches them...and then they vote for whoever the hell they want to. Wow!

Since I'm not yet an Italian citizen, I couldn't vote, so I just stepped back and observed the process.

A week before the election, the comizi began. These political rallies were designed, as they are in the U.S., to get people excited about the candidates and to talk about the future.

There was a little mudslinging, at least from one party. I don't care for that strategy, and I felt it wasted time that could have been spent discussing what the candidates wanted for the future of Davoli.

Election Day

Last Sunday and Monday were the elections. To my surprise, the votes were completely counted within a couple of hours of the polls closing. I guess when you're just counting 3,000 votes, it's fairly easy to do!

Pappaleo, the incumbent mayor, won with double the votes of the other candidate.

Fra asked if I wanted to attend the celebratory party at the beach. Uh, yes, please! Before the party, we heard dozens of cars honking near our home. The candidates and supporters passed through the piazza, each honking and shouting. Then the mayor walked on foot with the crowd and literally kissed the cheeks of everyone!

Another Excuse for a Party

We made our way down to the lungomare in Davoli Marina and chatted with friends and family. The mayor made a speech, and then they distributed beer, pizza, and panini. The vibe was festive. The evening concluded with fireworks, and that was that.

I thought we were obsessed with politics in the US., but politics in Calabria are a whole different animal. The election has been THE topic of discussion (thanks for distracting everyone from talking about my mess of a country), and I am SO glad that it's over!