by Maximiliano Crocamo
The civil engineer and entrepreneur, backed by Azione, the Liberal Democrats and Ora!, says he wants to offer a pragmatic alternative to the city’s traditional left-right divide ahead of the spring 2027 elections.
Francesco Cervesi, a civil engineer and entrepreneur, has been announced as the first officially declared candidate for mayor of Trieste ahead of the municipal elections scheduled for spring 2027. He is backed by a new centrist coalition bringing together Azione, the Partito Liberaldemocratico and Ora!, part of the political space known as the Third Pole.
Cervesi, born in 1978, studied civil engineering at the University of Trieste, where he later taught as an adjunct professor. He is technical co-director of the family business, Cervesi Ingegneria. In 2011, he ran for president of the former Province of Trieste with the list Un’Altra Trieste.
Ettore Rosato, deputy national secretary of Azione, participated in the announcement by video link.
Presenting his candidacy, Cervesi pointed to more than 25 years of professional experience in construction, social housing, schools, sports facilities, utilities, networks and port infrastructure. He said his campaign would focus on proposals grounded in technical and financial feasibility.
“Our proposals will be supported by numbers and by feasibility,” he said. “Concrete proposals, not populism.”
Cervesi described the coalition as firmly centrist, arguing that Trieste needs an alternative to the continuing confrontation between the political right and left. He said the group aims to attract members of civil society and voters dissatisfied with both established political camps.
He also sought to dispel the idea that the candidacy was merely symbolic, saying the coalition intended to compete to win, while acknowledging that the task would be difficult given its smaller electoral base.
On migration, Cervesi argued that the municipal government should not interfere with or oppose organizations providing humanitarian assistance. He added that associations should respect measures adopted by the police headquarters, known as the Questura.
He also called for a practical response to the situation of people sleeping outdoors without access to showers or toilets. While acknowledging that the municipality cannot control national borders, he said it could identify a suitable location or repurpose an existing public building, such as a former barracks, to provide accommodation.
The proposal reflects the broader message of Cervesi’s campaign: a focus on municipal services and practical solutions, with an emphasis on administrative feasibility rather than ideological confrontation.
With the spring 2027 election approaching, the new coalition faces the challenge of translating that message into wider electoral support in a city where the established political blocs remain formidable opponents.
