Mayor of Milan

Mayor of Milan
Sindaco di Milano
Incumbent
Giuliano Pisapia
since 1 June 2011
Style No courtesy, title or style
Appointer Electorate of Milan
Term length 5 years, renewable once
Inaugural holder Antonio Durini
Formation 8 November 1807
Deputy Ada Lucia De Cesaris
Salary €43,200
Website www.comune.milano.i

The Mayor of Milan (Italian: Sindaco di Milano) is an elected politician who, along with the Milan’s City Council of 48 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Milan in northern Italy. The title is the equivalent of Lord Mayor in the meaning of an actual executive leader.

The current mayor of Milan is Giuliano Pisapia, a left-wing independent leading a progressive alliance composed by the Democratic Party, Left Ecology Freedom, the Greens and Federation of the Left.

Overview

Current seat of the Mayor, Palazzo Marino.

According to the Italian Constitution, the Mayor of Milan is member of the Milan's City Council. Although the title Mayor is not held by the heads of the nine boroughs of Milan, because they do not actually preside over self-governmental municipalities.

The Mayor is elected by the population of Milan. Citizens elect also the members of the City Council, which also controls 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 1993 the Mayor is elected directly by Milan'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. If no candidate receives at least 50% of votes, the top two candidates go to a second round after two weeks. The election of the City Council is based on a direct choice for the candidate with a preference vote: the candidate with the majority of the preferences is elected. The number of the seats for each party is determined proportionally.

The seat of the City Council is the city hall Palazzo Marino in Piazza della Scala.

List of Mayors of Milan

Podestà (1807-1860)

From 1807, Podestà di Milano were appointed by the kings who reigned over the city during the early- to mid-19th century: Napoleon, the Habsburgs and Victor Emmanuel II.

Kingdom of Italy (1860-1946)

  Mayor Term start Term end Party
1 Antonio Beretta 26 January 1860 13 February 1867 Historical Right
2 Giulio Belinzaghi 13 February 1867 25 April 1884 Historical Right
3 Gaetano Negri 25 April 1884 21 November 1889 Historical Right
(2) Giulio Belinzaghi 21 November 1889 28 September 1892 Historical Right
4 Giuseppe Vigoni 28 September 1892 18 September 1899 Historical Right
5 Giuseppe Mussi 18 September 1899 16 September 1903 Historical Left
6 Giambattista Barinetti 16 September 1903 7 February 1905 Historical Left
7 Ettore Ponti 7 February 1905 11 May 1909 Historical Right
8 Bassano Gabba 11 May 1909 30 January 1911 Historical Right
9 Emanuele Greppi 30 January 1911 30 June 1914 Italian Liberal Party
10 Emilio Caldara 30 June 1914 20 November 1920 Italian Socialist Party
11 Angelo Filippetti 20 November 1920 30 December 1922 Italian Socialist Party
12 Luigi Mangiagalli 30 December 1922 19 August 1926 Italian Liberal Party
Fascist Podestà (1926-1945)
1 Ernesto Belloni 19 August 1926 6 September 1928 National Fascist Party
2 Giuseppe De Capitani d'Arzago 6 September 1928 20 November 1929 National Fascist Party
3 Marcello Visconti di Modrone 20 November 1929 19 November 1935 National Fascist Party
4 Guido Pesenti 19 November 1935 13 June 1938 National Fascist Party
5 Gian Giacomo Gallarati Scotti 13 June 1938 14 October 1943 National Fascist Party
6 Piero Parini 14 October 1943 4 May 1944 Republican Fascist Party
7 Guido Andreoni 4 May 1944 13 September 1944 Republican Fascist Party
8 Giuseppe Spinelli 13 September 1944 23 January 1945 Republican Fascist Party
9 Mario Colombo 23 January 1945 25 April 1945 Republican Fascist Party
Liberation (1945-1946)
13 Antonio Greppi 25 April 1945 7 April 1946 Italian Socialist Party

Republic of Italy (1946-present)

From 1946 to 1993, the Mayor of Milan was chosen by the City council.

  Mayor Term start Term end Party Coalition
1 Antonio Greppi 7 April 1946 25 June 1951 Italian Socialist Party PSI - PCI - DC
2 Virgilio Ferrari 25 June 1951 21 January 1961 Italian Democratic Socialist Party DC - PSDI
3 Gino Cassinis 21 January 1961 17 February 1964 Italian Democratic Socialist Party DC - PSDI - PSI
4 Pietro Bucalossi 17 February 1964 16 November 1967 Italian Democratic Socialist Party DC - PSDI - PSI
5 Aldo Aniasi 16 November 1967 12 May 1976 Italian Socialist Party DC - PSDI - PSI (1967-75)
PSI - PCI (1975-76)
6 Carlo Tognoli 12 May 1976 21 December 1986 Italian Socialist Party PSI - PCI
7 Paolo Pillitteri 21 December 1986 18 January 1992 Italian Socialist Party PSI - DC (1986-87)
PSI - PCI - Greens (1987-92)
8 Gianpietro Borghini 21 January 1992 20 June 1993 Italian Socialist Party PSI - DC

Since 1993, under provisions of new local administration law, the Mayor of Milan is chosen by popular election, originally every four, and later every five years.


 Mayor of Milan Took office Left office Party Coalition
9 Marco Formentini 20 June 1993 11 May 1997 Lega Nord LN
20 June 1993 – 11 May 1997
10 Gabriele Albertini 11 May 1997 1 June 2006 Forza Italia FI - AN - CCD
11 May 1997 – 1 June 2001
FI - AN - UDC
1 June 2001 – 1 June 2006
11 Letizia Moratti 1 June 2006 1 June 2011 Forza Italia then
People of Freedom
 PDL - LN - UDC
1 June 2006 - 1 June 2011
12 Giuliano Pisapia 1 June 2011 incumbent Left Ecology Freedom PD - SEL - PRC
since 1 June 2011

Timeline

Giuliano Pisapia Letizia Moratti Gabriele Albertini Marco Formentini Carlo Tognoli Aldo Aniasi

Elections

City Council election, 1946

The first democratic election after the fall of fascism took place on April 7, 1946.

After the defeat of the Nazis forces on April 25, 1945, Socialist politician Antonio Greppi had been appointed as Provisional Mayor by the National Liberation Committee under approval of the United Nations military government. When the authority of the Italian government was restored on January 1, 1946, local elections were called in Northern Italy.

Proportional representation and Westminster system were the principles chosen to restore municipal democracy in Italy. After the clear Socialist victory, Antonio Greppi was confirmed mayor by the new City Council, and an executive board of municipal unity was formed: the alliance between PSI, DC and PCI ruled Milan as it ruled Italy at time.

Parties Votes % Seats
Italian Socialist Party 225,383 36.2 29
Christian Democracy 167,316 26.9 22
Italian Communist Party 155,140 24.9 20
National Democratic Union 45,864 7.3 6
Italian Republican Party-Action Party 19,168 3.1 2
Local Traders List 9,931 1.6 1
Total 622,702 100.0 80

Sunday, April 7, 1946. Sources: La Stampa , Unimi

City Council election, 1951

The second post-war election took place on May 27, 1951.

Political situation had deeply changed during the previous five years. A new social-democratic party had broken away from the Socialist Party, and the alliances of anti-fascist unity had ended both at national and at local level. The Communist Party had left the administration of Milan in 1949, as the remaining Socialist Party had moved to a position of abstention. Antonio Greppi had joined the Social-democratic group and formed a new alliance with the DC, the PLI and the PRI.

In 1951 Alcide De Gasperi's government changed the local electoral law to a block voting system, to ensure the leadership of its local administrations: two thirds of the seats would be ensured to the winning coalition, abolishing the proportional representation.

The national government coalition obtained an absolute majority with a 53% of suffrages, which was changed into a 66% of seats by the electoral law. However Greppi, who had unsuccessfully called for a coalition of Socialist unity between the PSDI and the PSI, was fired by the DC. Virgilio Ferrari, a Social-democratic activist, so became the new mayor.

Coalitions and parties Votes % +/- Seats +/-
Government Coalition 412,246 53.2 N/A 53 Increase 9
Christian Democracy 238,693 30.8 Increase 3.9 30 Increase 8
Italian Democratic Socialist Party 111,185 14.3 N/A 15 Increase 1
Italian Liberal Party 49,299 6.4 Decrease 0.9 6 =
Italian Republican Party 13,069 1.7 Decrease 1.4 2 =
Popular Democratic Front 291,796 37.8 N/A 21 Decrease 15
Italian Communist Party 179,894 23.3 Decrease 1.6 13 Decrease 7
Italian Socialist Party 109,097 14.1 Decrease 22.1 8 Decrease 7
Others (civic list) 2,805 0.4 Decrease 1.2 = Decrease 1
Italian Social Movement 50,454 6.5 Increase 6.5 4 Increase 4
Monarchist National Party 23,956 3.0 Increase 3.0 2 Increase 2
Total 778,452 100.0 = 80 =

Sunday, May 27, 1951. Sources: La Stampa , Unimi

City Council election, 1956

The election took place on May 27, 1956.

For this election there was a different electoral law: after Alcide De Gasperi's government had retired in 1953 the 1951-electoral law based on a block voting system, the previous electoral law was restored.

Christian Democracy obtained the 30% of suffrages, while the Italian Socialist Party the 20% of the votes gaining 6% more than the 1951-election. Virgilio Ferrari was confirmed mayor by the majority of the City Council.

Parties Votes % +/- Seats +/-
Christian Democracy 261,610 30.1 Decrease 0.7 25 Decrease 5
Italian Socialist Party 173,813 20.1 Increase 6.0 16 Increase 8
Italian Communist Party 158,818 18.3 Decrease 5.0 15 Increase 2
Italian Socialist Democratic Party 103,175 11.9 Decrease 2.4 10 Decrease 5
Italian Liberal Party 53,501 6.3 Decrease 0.1 5 Decrease 1
Italian Social Movement 50,827 5.9 Decrease 0.6 4 =
Monarchist National Party 35,171 4.1 Increase 1.1 3 Increase 1
Italian Republican Party 13,407 1.2 Decrease 0.5 = Decrease 2
Others (civc list) 15,721 2.0 Increase 1.6 2 Increase 2
Total 866,043 100.0 = 80 =

Sunday, May 27, 1956. Source: La Stampa

City Council election, 1960

The election took place on November 6, 1960.

This election was anticipated by the effect of a new law which ordered a new 4 years-term legislature.

Christian Democracy obtained the 29% of suffrages, while the Italian Socialist Party the 20% of the votes. Gino Cassinis (PSDI) was elected mayor by the majority of the City Council.

Parties Votes % +/- Seats +/-
Christian Democracy 288,030 29.9 Decrease 0.3 25 =
Italian Socialist Party 199,728 20.7 Increase 0.6 17 Increase 1
Italian Communist Party 195,521 20.3 Decrease 2.0 17 Increase 2
Italian Socialist Democratic Party 101,703 10.5 Decrease 1.4 8 Decrease 2
Italian Liberal Party 78,488 8.4 Increase 2.2 6 Increase 1
Italian Social Movement 63,156 6.5 Increase 0.6 5 Increase 1
Monarchist National Party 24,858 2.3 Decrease 1.8 2 Decrease 1
Italian Republican Party 10,201 1.1 Decrease 0.1 = =
Others (civc list) 2,513 0.3 Decrease 1.7 = Decrease 2
Total 964,198 100.0 = 80 =

Sunday, November 6, 1960. Source: La Stampa

City Council election, 1964

The election took place on November 22, 1964.

Christian Democracy obtained the 24% of suffrages, while the Italian Socialist Party the 15% of the votes, losing a lot of votes and becoming the fourth party. However Pietro Bucalossi (PSDI), who succeded Cassinis in January, was confirmed mayor by the majority of the City Council.

Parties Votes % +/- Seats +/-
Christian Democracy 257,653 24.0 Decrease 5.8 20 Decrease 5
Italian Communist Party 236,013 21.9 Increase 1.6 18 Increase 1
Italian Liberal Party 226,895 21.1 Increase 13.0 17 Increase 11
Italian Socialist Party 171,334 15.9 Decrease 4.8 13 Decrease 4
Italian Democratic Socialist Party 90,790 8.4 Decrease 2.1 7 Decrease 1
Italian Social Movement 54,011 5.0 Decrease 1.5 4 Decrease 1
Italian Socialist Party of Proletarian Unity 22,022 2.0 Increase 2.0 1 Increase 1
Monarchist National Party 10,000 0.9 Decrease 1.4 = Decrease 2
Others (civc list) 6,613 0.6 Increase 0.3 = =
Total 1,075,381 100.0 = 80 =

Sunday, November 22, 1964. Source: La Stampa

City Council election, 1970

The election took place on June 7, 1970.

This election took place after six years from the last and simultaneously with the first regional elections of Lombardy.

Christian Democracy obtained the 26% of suffrages, while the Italian Communist Party the 22% of the votes. However the socialist Aldo Aniasi was confirmed mayor by the majority of the City Council.

Parties Votes % +/- Seats +/-
Christian Democracy 291,902 26.3 Increase 2.3 22 Increase 2
Italian Communist Party 254,069 22.8 Increase 0.9 19 Increase 1
Italian Socialist Party 157,200 14.1 Decrease 1.8 12 Decrease 1
Italian Liberal Party 123,082 11.1 Decrease 10.0 9 Decrease 8
Italian Democratic Socialist Party 116,202 10.4 Increase 2.0 8 Increase 1
Italian Social Movement 74,395 6.7 Increase 1.7 4 =
Italian Republican Party 53,745 4.8 Increase 4.8 4 Increase 4
Italian Socialist Party of Proletarian Unity 33,216 3.0 Increase 1.0 2 Increase 1
Monarchist National Party 8,009 0.7 Decrease 0.2 = =
Total 1,111,731 100.0 = 80 =

Sunday, June 7, 1970. Source: La Stampa

City Council election, 1975

The election took place on June 15, 1975.

Similarly to the national vote, the Italian Communist Party became for the first time in the history the first party with the 30% of the votes. This extraordinary result led to the birth of the first red-giunta in the history of the city: the new coalition was formed by the leftist Socialist and Communist Party, while Aldo Aniasi was reconfirmed mayor by the majority of the City Council. However, in 1976 the socialist Carlo Tognoli was elected new mayor.

The fascist Italian Social Movement became the fourth party with the 7% of the votes.

Parties Votes % +/- Seats +/-
Italian Communist Party 354,603 30.4 Increase 7.6 25 Increase 6
Christian Democracy 313,855 26.9 Increase 0.6 22 =
Italian Socialist Party 172,558 14.8 Increase 0.7 12 =
Italian Social Movement 84,087 7.2 Increase 0.5 6 Increase 2
Italian Democratic Socialist Party 73,889 6.3 Decrease 4.1 5 Decrease 3
Italian Republican Party 70,050 6.0 Increase 1.2 4 =
Italian Liberal Party 53,617 4.6 Decrease 7.1 3 Decrease 6
Proletarian Democracy 43,524 3.7 Increase 3.7 3 Increase 3
Total 1,166,183 100.0 = 80 =

Sunday, June 15, 1975. Source: La Stampa

City Council election, 1980

The election took place on June 8, 1980.

For the second time the Italian Communist Party was the first party with the 26% of the votes. Carlo Tognoli was reconfirmed as mayor.

Parties Votes % +/- Seats +/-
Italian Communist Party 284,329 26.5 Decrease 3.9 22 Decrease 3
Christian Democracy 283,428 26.4 Decrease 0.5 22 =
Italian Socialist Party 210,504 19.6 Increase 4.9 16 Increase 4
Italian Social Movement 70,767 6.6 Decrease 0.6 5 Decrease 1
Italian Liberal Party 65,428 6.1 Increase 1.5 5 Increase 2
Italian Democratic Socialist Party 53,036 4.9 Decrease 1.4 4 Decrease 1
Italian Republican Party 47,522 4.4 Decrease 1.6 3 Decrease 1
Proletarian Democracy 29,209 2.7 Decrease 1.0 2 Decrease 1
Proletarian Party for the Communism 16,395 1.5 Increase 1.5 1 Increase 1
Total 1,071,883 100.0 = 80 =

Sunday, June 8, 1980. Source: La Stampa

City Council election, 1985

The election took place on May 12, 1985.

Another time the Italian Communist Party was narrowly confirmed as the first party in the city with the 24% of the votes. Carlo Tognoli was reconfirmed for the first time as mayor but by a new center-left coalition, composed by Christian Democracy and the Italian Socialist Party.

Parties Votes % +/- Seats +/-
Italian Communist Party 266,259 24.9 Decrease 1.6 21 Decrease 1
Christian Democracy 256,455 24.0 Decrease 2.4 20 Decrease 2
Italian Socialist Party 211,372 19.8 Increase 0.2 16 =
Italian Republican Party 105,796 9.9 Increase 5.5 8 Increase 5
Italian Social Movement 81,873 7.7 Increase 1.1 6 Increase 1
Italian Liberal Party 37,662 3.5 Decrease 2.6 3 Decrease 2
Proletarian Democracy 34,329 3.2 Increase 0.5 2 =
Italian Democratic Socialist Party 31,811 3.0 Decrease 1.9 2 Decrease 2
Federation of the Greens 27,533 2.6 Increase 2.6 2 Increase 2
Others 14,867 1.4 Increase 1.4 = =
Total 1,067,957 100.0 = 80 =

Sunday, May 12, 1985. Source: La Stampa

City Council election, 1990

The election took place on May 6, 1990.

Christian Democracy became the first party in the city with the 20% of the votes. The newborn regionalist party Lega Nord became the fourth party with the 13% of the votes. The socialist Paolo Pillitteri was reconfirmed as mayor.

Parties Votes % +/- Seats +/-
Christian Democracy 204,954 20.7 Decrease 3.3 17 Decrease 4
Italian Communist Party 194,264 19.6 Decrease 5.0 16 Decrease 5
Italian Socialist Party 192,145 19.4 Decrease 0.4 16 =
Lega Nord 128,312 13.0 Increase 13.0 11 Increase 11
Italian Republican Party 58,377 5.9 Decrease 4.0 5 Decrease 3
Federation of the Greens 41,986 4.2 Increase 1.6 3 Increase 1
Italian Social Movement 36,610 3.7 Decrease 4.0 3 Decrease 3
Others 98,985 13.4 Increase 12.0 9 Increase 9
Total 990,097 100.0 = 80 =

Sunday, May 6, 1990. Source: La Stampa

Mayoral and Council election, 1993

The election took place in two rounds: the first on June 6 and the second on June 20.

For the first time under the new electoral law citizens could vote directly the mayor; before this choice was made by the City Council. For the first time in the municipal political history there weren't parties like Christian Democracy, Italian Socialist Party or Italian Communist Party: the main parties were the newborn separatist Lega Nord and the Alliance of Progressives, composed by center-left parties.

The main candidates were Marco Formentini and Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa's son Nando. However there were a lot of others candidates from different parties.

On June 20, 1993, Formentini won the election and became the first elected mayor of Milan and the first mayor from a conservative party since 1946.

Milan Mayoral Election Results 1993
Name Party 1st Round
(June 6)
 		% 2nd Round
(June 20)
 		%
Marco Formentini Lega Nord 346,425 38.8 452,732 57.1
Nando Dalla Chiesa Alliance of Progressives 270,554 30.3 340,708 42.9

Mayoral and Council election, 1997

The election took place in two rounds: the first on April 27 and the second on May 11.

The main candidates were Gabriele Albertini, supported by Silvio Berlusconi's coalition Pole of Freedoms and by some Christian-democratic parties, and Aldo Fumagalli, supported by Romano Prodi's coalition The Olive Tree.

Milan Mayoral Election Results 1997
Name Party 1st Round
(April 27)
 		% 2nd Round
(May 11)
 		%
Gabriele Albertini Forza Italia 318,075 40.7 385,496 53.1
Aldo Fumagalli Democratic Party of the Left 214,733 27.5 339,942 46.9

Mayoral and Council election, 2001

The election took place on May 13, 2001.

The main candidates were the incumbent mayor Gabriele Albertini, supported by Silvio Berlusconi's center-right coalition, and Sandro Antoniazzi, supported by Francesco Rutelli's center-left coalition The Olive Tree.

Milan Mayoral Election Results 2001
Name Party 1st Round
(May 13)
 %
Gabriele Albertini Forza Italia 495,938 57.5
Sandro Antoniazzi Democrats of the Left 262,686 30.5

Mayoral and Council election, 2006

The election took place on May 29–30, 2006.

The main candidates were the incumbent Minister of Public Education Letizia Moratti and Bruno Ferrante, supported by Romano Prodi's center-left coalition The Olive Tree.

Letizia Moratti won the election on the first round with the 52% of the votes and became the first female mayor of Milan.

Milan Mayoral Election Results 2006
Name Party 1st Round
(May 29–30)
 %
Letizia Moratti Forza Italia 353,298 51.9
Bruno Ferrante Democrats of the Left 319,823 47.0
Giorgio Maria Carlo Ballabio Civic List "Your Milan" 1,329 0.2
Cesare Fracca Civic List "Living Milan" 1,169 0.2
Gabriele Pagliuzzi Liberal Right 1,187 0.1
Ambrogio Crespi Liberal Democrats 1,086 0.1
Valerio Colombo Humanist Party 752 0.1
Alberto Beniamino Saibene Civic List "This is a City" 676 0.1
Sante Gaiardoni Sante Gaiardoni List 523 0.1
Pietro Vangeli Communist List 392 0.1

Mayoral and Council election, 2011

See also

References