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Venice mayoral election result may open way for bigger cruise ships Venice mayoral election result may open way for bigger cruise ships
(about 3 hours later)
A businessman and staunch supporter of the cruise ship industry has won the mayoral election in Venice, dealing a significant blow to efforts by environmental activists to keep the “big ships” out of the city. A businessman and staunch supporter of the cruise ship industry has won the mayoral election in Venice, dealing a significant blow to efforts by environmental activists to keep the big ships out of the city.
Luigi Brugnaro’s victory over Felice Casson, a left-of-centre senator from the Democratic party (PD) of the prime minister, Matteo Renzi, in a run-off election on Sunday is expected to set off discussions with Rome over new possible routes into the city by massive cruise ships. Luigi Brugnaro’s victory over Felice Casson, a left-of-centre senator from the Democratic party (PD) of the prime minister, Matteo Renzi, in a runoff election on Sunday is expected to set off discussions with Rome over new possible routes into the city by massive cruise ships.
Related: Cruise ship access to Venice at stake in mayoral electionRelated: Cruise ship access to Venice at stake in mayoral election
Brugnaro won 53% of the vote against 47% for Casson. Even though Casson went into the race with an edge over his opponent following the initial election on 31 May – when neither won more than 50% in a crowded field - Brugnaro emerged the victor because he gained the support of conservative allies in the rightwing Northern League party. Brugnaro won 53% of the vote against 47% for Casson. Even though Casson went into the race with an edge over his opponent following the initial election on 31 May – when neither won more than 50% in a crowded field – Brugnaro emerged the victor because he gained the support of conservative allies in the rightwing Northern League party.
Cruise ship companies have voluntarily stopped sending ships weighing over 96,000 tonnes into the city following a ban brought in in the wake of the 2012 Costa Concordia shipwreck off the coast of Tuscany. That ban has since been reversed but is still the subject of litigation. Before the election, both Brugnaro and the cruise ship industry said the issue of what kinds of ships ought to be let into Venice – and which route they will use – would largely be determined by the next mayor. Cruise ship companies have voluntarily stopped sending ships weighing over 96,000 tonnes into the city following a ban brought in after the 2012 Costa Concordia shipwreck off the coast of Tuscany. That ban has since been reversed but is still the subject of litigation. Before the election, both Brugnaro and the cruise ship industry said the issue of what kinds of ships ought to be let into Venice – and which route they will use – would largely be determined by the next mayor.
However, the central issue that dominated the election was not the controversy over cruise ships, but corruption allegations. The centre-left lost the important mayoral seat after a 20-year reign that was marked by recent corruption and bribery scandals. The last elected mayor of Venice, Giorgio Orsoni, stepped down last year following allegations that he was part of a massive graft scheme. However, the central issue that dominated the election was not the controversy over cruise ships, but corruption allegations. The centre-left lost the important mayoral seat after a 20-year reign that was marked by recent corruption and bribery scandals. The last elected mayor of Venice, Giorgio Orsoni, stepped down last year following allegations that he was part of a corrupt dealings related to construction of underwater barriers to protect the lagoon city from flooding.
Although the presence of massive cruise ships is a hot button issue in Venice – environmentalists and celebrities have joined in the debate, warning that their presence is an ecological disaster waiting to happen – the debate was overshadowed by anger over the corruption allegations, which were deemed “fatal” for the PD in local press coverage. Although the presence of massive cruise ships is a heated issue in Venice – environmentalists and celebrities have joined in the debate, warning that their presence was an ecological disaster waiting to happen – the debate was overshadowed by anger over the corruption allegations, which were deemed “fatal” for the PD in local press coverage.
In what was seen as a rebuke against Renzi’s leadership, the PD also lost selections in Arezzo, Matera and Nuoro, but held on to seats in Mantua and Lecco. The local races followed regional elections on 31 May in which the PD lost an important bellwether race in Liguria and ceded territory to the Northern League, the rightwing anti-immigrant and anti-euro party headed by Matteo Salvini.In what was seen as a rebuke against Renzi’s leadership, the PD also lost selections in Arezzo, Matera and Nuoro, but held on to seats in Mantua and Lecco. The local races followed regional elections on 31 May in which the PD lost an important bellwether race in Liguria and ceded territory to the Northern League, the rightwing anti-immigrant and anti-euro party headed by Matteo Salvini.
In an interview with the Guardian before Sunday’s election, the winner in the Venice poll, Brugnaro, emphasised the importance of the cruise ship industry in the Veneto region and said he supported a new route into the city of Venice that would require dredging. He also said he staunchly opposed another route – which is currently being assessed by environmental experts in Rome – that would force big cruise ships to dock at a proposed offshore platform far outside Venice and load and offload passengers on to ferries to get them into the city. In an interview with the Guardian before he won Sunday’s election, Brugnaro, emphasised the importance of the cruise ship industry in the Veneto region and said he supported a new route into the city of Venice that would require dredging. He also said he staunchly opposed another route – which is currently being assessed by environmental experts in Rome – that would force big cruise ships to dock at a proposed offshore platform far outside Venice, and load and offload passengers on to ferries to get them into the city.
The cruise industry has deemed that offshore platform proposal to be unsafe and logistically unworkable. Although the leading cruise ship association, CLIA, did not formally endorse Brugnaro, his opposition to the offshore platform clearly made him the group’s preferred candidate. The cruise industry has deemed the offshore platform proposal to be unsafe and logistically unworkable. Although the leading cruise ship association, CLIA, did not formally endorse Brugnaro, his opposition to the offshore platform clearly made him the group’s preferred candidate.
A spokesman for CLIA said it welcomed the election of a new mayor. “Brugnaro’s come-back in the second turn [run-off] speaks to Venetians’ desire for a more entrepreneurial approach to the city’s management,” said Francesco Galietti, the top CLIA official in Italy. “We trust that at soon as the new mayor has settled in, he will take at heart the issue of finding a sustainable and long-term solution for the access of cruise liners to Venice.”