Approval Rating of Bergamo Mayor Carnevali Drops by 4 Percent in One Year

The approval rating of Elena Carnevali, the mayor of Bergamo, Italy, has decreased by approximately 4 percent over the past year. This decline emerged as a result of a comprehensive public opinion poll regularly conducted each year by Sole 24 Ore analysts. According to the Governance Poll 2026 report published on 6 Temmuz, Carnevali fell to a position around sixtieth place in the national ranking. While her current approval rating is measured at 52,5 percent, it was recorded as 56,1 percent in the same survey the previous year. Additionally, Carnevali was elected to this position with 55 percent of the vote after winning the local elections held in the summer of 2024.

The top figure in the nationwide approval rating ranking of mayors was Florence Mayor Sara Funar. Funar managed to increase the support she received from the public after her 60,6 percent election victory, raising it to 66 percent. Marco Fioravanti, the mayor of Ascoli, took second place with 65 percent. Although Fioravanti was at the top of the list last year, he dropped one rank due to experiencing a decrease of about ten points. Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi ranked in the third and final spot, securing his place among the top three names.

When evaluated specifically for the Lombardy region, Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala stood out as the most approved mayor across the region. Remaining just outside the top ten with a support rate of 59,5 percent, Sala maintained his position as Lombardy's most popular local administrator. On the other hand, the situation does not look very promising for Brescia Mayor Laura Castelletti, who is one of the region's prominent figures. Castelletti's public approval rating experienced a serious collapse compared to previous periods, falling below the 50 percent threshold. This situation revealed the changing public perception and fluctuations in political tendencies of local governments in Lombardy.

In addition to mayors, the research provided extensive data to measure the popularity of Italian regional presidents. Lombardy Regional President Attilio Fontana ranked sixth nationwide with 57 percent support. Fontana's approval rate increased by more than two points compared to 2024, capturing a general upward trend. However, the fact that he faced a five-point decrease compared to the period when he was at the top last year was also among the striking details in the report. At the top of the regional presidents' ranking, Apulia (Puglia) Regional President Antonio Decaro achieved a major success by taking first place.

The public opinion poll in question clearly demonstrates that the political atmosphere and voter expectations in Italian local governments are constantly changing. The decline of Bergamo Mayor Carnevali can be interpreted as a reflection of dissatisfaction regarding the fulfillment of local people's expectations and the delivery of public services. Nevertheless, Carnevali's 52,5 percent approval rating indicates that more than half of the public is satisfied with her administration, signifying that a dangerous threshold has still been preserved. In contrast, the high rates achieved by administrators in cities such as Florence and Ascoli prove how successful projects in city management can increase public support. Overall, such annual surveys serve both as important compasses for politicians to measure their own performance and as periodic photographs of the public's trust in the government.