Giani Secures Center-Left Candidacy in Tuscany as M5S Joins Coalition

Outgoing Tuscan president Eugenio Giani will seek a second term as the center-left candidate in the upcoming regional elections, after the Democratic Party (PD) confirmed his candidacy by acclamation on Thursday evening August 7, 2025.

The real political novelty, however, is the entry of the Five Star Movement (M5S) into the coalition — a move decided directly by party members through an online vote. Using an online platform, 2,568 members cast their ballots out of 5,202 eligible voters. Of these, 1,538 backed joining the center-left alliance to support Giani, while 1,030 preferred running independently. The vote followed weeks of internal division within the M5S in Tuscany over whether to support Giani or go it alone.

The M5S’s support comes with a set of programmatic demands far removed from the policies pursued by Giani and the PD over the past five years. Among them: the creation of a regional version of the basic income, a halt to the expansion of Florence’s Peretola airport in favor of upgrading Pisa’s Galileo Galilei terminal, and a firm stance against NATO bases in the region, including full protection for the San Rossore Regional Park.

Giani’s shift to the left had already become visible in recent months, with measures such as the introduction of a regional minimum wage, which prompted the national government to challenge the law before the Constitutional Court. Still, political observers note that given the PD’s consistently high polling in Tuscany, the party had no pressing need to ally with the M5S to challenge the center-right. The latter is expected to field Pistoia’s mayor Alessandro Tomasi (Fratelli d’Italia, the party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni), though his candidacy has yet to be officially announced.

Analysts suggest that the alliance’s true value lies beyond Tuscany. For PD leader Elly Schlein, joining forces with the M5S could be decisive in southern Italy ahead of the 2027 national elections, where the PD traditionally struggles and the M5S commands a stronger voter base. The choice to adapt Tuscany’s political balance for what is seen as a larger “national interest” appears to have been judged a worthwhile trade-off by the center-left leadership.

Support Florence Daily News

Florence Daily News is an independent news site covering the stories, culture, and life of Florence and Tuscany. We don’t rely on clickbait, invasive or hidden advertising, or paywalls. Instead, we believe in quality journalism that respects our readers and serves those who care about thoughtful, local reporting.

If you value our work, consider supporting us with a donation.

Donate securely via Stripe below.