An electoral campaign so full of tension cannot be remembered in living memory. There is an internal “war” that more or less overwhelms everyone. Even in the city, among citizens, people avoid each other; one against the other and vice versa. Crowded rallies and demonstrations like never before, with a ruling that had never been seen before: no one from the opposing side goes to listen to the opposing competitor. Rules and programs have disappeared. Few programs, to tell the truth, which concern the future of a town “plastered” by return emigration, which sociologists call depopulation. In truth we have always started from these mountains, for at least two centuries. Only “temporary” truces like when the former Opera Valorizzazione per la Sila (OVS) had to hire over a thousand labourers. As this sort of social safety net was reduced, the real crisis arrived, so that as of the dynamic revision of 23 April 2026, San Giovanni currently has 15,465 inhabitants.
The candidates
Now it is a fierce battle between the 4 mayoral candidates: Marco Ambrogio, Antonio Barile, Giuseppe Belcastro, and Luigi Candalise. The scheme is now clear to everyone: the centre-right with Ambrogio aims to win in the first round also because it has 10 lists which bring together 160 candidates. So every prediction includes him at least in the runoff.
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