In the Italian town of Ingria, 30 candidates are competing for the votes of 46 residents. Among them, a mother and her son are running in rival camps.
In the upcoming local elections in Ingria, Italy, almost two-thirds of the residents are competing for political office. As the Guardian reports, the election campaign has a special twist: a mother is taking part in the race together with her son – in different camps.
Igor De Santis, who has held the office of mayor since 2009, faces a challenge. He had expected Renato Poletto, a 70-year-old member of the opposition council, to be his main rival in the upcoming election. But Poletto was able to win the support of De Santis’ mother, Milena Crosasso, and nominated her for a seat on the local council. She is part of a list consisting of nine women and one man, the Guardian reported.
Stefano Venuti, a Milanese with a second home in Ingria, also announced his candidacy. A total of 30 people, about two-thirds of the village’s residents, are now running for election.
De Santis explained: “I had asked [my mother] to join me, but after seeing that Poletto’s list was mostly made up of women, she chose her.”
However, Crosasso assured that the political rivalry would not affect their family relationship. “Both my son and I want the best for the community and this is an opportunity to represent women’s views without weakening family ties,” she told the Guardian.
Like many mountain villages in Italy, Ingria suffers from depopulation, scarce services and massive winter snowfall. It has also had to cope with a sharp increase in tourism since 2022, when the village was voted one of the “most beautiful” in Italy.
The New Zealand news provider “Stuff” describes Ingria as a picturesque village located 45 kilometers north of Turin. The elections to renew the local council will take place on June 8 and 9, according to “Stuff”.
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