Italy Postpones Local Elections to After September Due to COVID-19... First Time Since World War II

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Italian government has decided to postpone the regional elections scheduled by province from next month to after September. This is interpreted as a precaution against the possibility of a resurgence of the virus while holding local elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Italian news agency ANSA on the 20th (local time), the Italian government held a cabinet meeting that day and announced that the regional elections scheduled for each province next month will be postponed to between September and October. The regions where local elections were planned include Veneto, where Venice is located, Tuscany, where Florence is located, as well as Liguria, Campania, Marche, Valle d'Aosta, and Puglia, which are among the areas most severely affected by the COVID-19 situation in Italy. It is known that this is the first time Italy has postponed local elections since the end of World War II.

Earlier, Roberto Speranza, Italy’s Minister of Health, warned that holding local elections amid the COVID-19 crisis could lead to large crowds gathering and a possible resurgence of the virus. However, given the recent slowdown in virus spread, there have been claims that elections should be held by July in some regions such as Veneto, Liguria, Campania, and Puglia, raising the possibility that the schedule may be readjusted during consultations.

Although the spread of COVID-19 in Italy is considered to have slowed, the daily number of confirmed cases still reaches around 2,000. According to the Italian health authorities’ tally as of that day, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases was 181,228, an increase of 2,256 in one day. The death toll reached 24,114, with 454 new deaths reported in a single day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.