Saronno municipal elections: four mayoral candidates, centre-left divided

Saronno (Varese) – A rollercoaster of emotions between dramatic twists and deafening silences. Saronno has arrived at the electoral appointment after a turbulent and unpredictable journey, an administrative crisis that lasted six long months that froze the city like in a fairy tale in reverse, without spells or happy endings.

The election campaign

Six months of City Council transformed into an institutional ring, where words bounced like hooks in a boxing match: motions, accusations, attempts at mediation and sensational about-faces. Then, like the tearing of a plaster on a still open wound, the election campaign began. Very fast, with many dejavu and little news. The people of Saronno have been catapulted into a race against time that will end on Sunday 25 and Monday 26 May , when they will be called to choose who, among the four mayoral candidates, will lead the city in the near future.

Here are the protagonists of this lightning challenge, marked by a few well-known faces and political balances that until a few months ago would have seemed unthinkable.

Ciceroni's novel

The first to break the ice was Novella Ciceroni, with the Obiettivo Saronno list, which gave life to two new formations: Idea Futuro, led by young people under 30, and Saronno SiCura , focused on security issues. An entirely civic proposal, built to intercept citizens' discontent and which aims for a clear change of direction compared to the past.

Augustus Airoldi

In the center-left camp, the split was painful and hard. On one side, Augusto Airoldi, the outgoing mayor, is running again with Saronno Civica and Percorso Democratico, a list created by former administrators and exponents who left the Democratic Party. His proposal is a hymn to continuity and to the defense of the work of the last three and a half years.

Ilaria Pagani

On the other hand, representing the official center-left, Ilaria Pagani, supported by Partito Democratico, Tu@Saronno and Insieme per crescere, a list linked to Azione and figures close to Italia Viva. Her campaign focused on welfare, services and inclusion.

Rienzo Azzi

The center-right has united, not without excruciating efforts and heavy farewells, behind Rienzo Azzi, a candidate supported by Fratelli d'Italia, Lega and Forza Italia . No civic list alongside, but a united front that promises rigor, development and a restart after the early interruption of the council term. A clear proposal, with clear objectives: to relaunch the city and re-establish order by focusing on regional and national support.

The absentees

Absent in this extraordinary round were the 5 Star Movement and the Green Left Alliance , which did not present lists, leaving uncovered a political area historically present in Saronno.

The themes

In a climate marked by general tiredness and a less heated political debate, the great classics of the city dialectic - such as Palazzo Visconti or Telos - have gone almost unnoticed. Dominating the scene were, in addition to security , mobility and urban redevelopment. The first saw at its center the approval of the Pgtu (General Plan of Urban Traffic) branded Airoldi and signed by the commissioner, despite the rejection by two out of three candidates. With the addition of the clash over the downsizing of the Saronno-Milan Central connection so dear to the people of Saronno and increasingly at risk. The second concerns the future of the former Isotta Fraschini , forcefully back in vogue also thanks to the public endorsement of the owner Giuseppe Gorla, who declared that he preferred "a female mayor", recognizing in Ciceroni and Pagani a greater willingness to discuss.