A first political discussion about a possible centre-left "campo largo" in Benevento has taken place, but no alliance yet exists. That is the starting point described by local reporting: willingness among some actors to build a coalition, set against an alliance that remains uncertain and undefined.
The preliminary meeting took place at the provincial headquarters of the Partito Democratico in Benevento, bringing together forces associated with the potential centre-left camp. The precise attendance, negotiating mandates and internal positions of each party have not been fully documented, and no common mayoral candidate or finalized coalition agreement has emerged.
Two ideas of the alliance
At the centre of the discussion is a divide over what the "campo largo" should mean locally.
On one side is a broad alliance modeled on the national coalition. On the other is a more locally defined arrangement, without exceptions on past positions. Local reporting frames this tension through the words "integrali" and "integralisti" — shorthand for the contrast between an inclusive formula and a stricter, locally conditioned one.
The parties and movements identified as involved or potentially involved are Sinistra Italiana/AVS, Avanti PSI, the Movimento 5 Stelle, Civico 22, Più Uno, Progetto Civico Italia, the Partito Democratico and the Giovani Democratici.
Palazzo Mosti and the national backdrop
The stakes are control of Palazzo Mosti, the seat of the Benevento municipal government. Reporting presents the municipal election as the local test preceding the next national political contest, with competing forces already positioning themselves.
That national-local link is central to the position taken by Clemente Mastella. He has argued that alliances should be politically symmetrical in Benevento, Naples and Rome, and has opposed a centre-left coalition that excludes the moderate centre.
Primaries proposed for the mayoral candidate
A second open question is how a possible coalition would choose its mayoral candidate for the 2027 municipal elections.
Primaries have been proposed as a way to involve voters directly in selecting the centre-left candidate. The proposal has gained support within part of the prospective alliance, according to Il Sannio Quotidiano, while it has been criticized by Mastella.
The timeline and rules for any primary election remain unspecified. No date, electorate definition or selection procedure has been identified in the reporting so far.
What remains undecided
Three points remain unresolved:
First, the perimeter of the coalition. Whether Benevento's centre-left will pursue the broad national-style formula or a narrower local arrangement is still under discussion.
Second, the candidate. No shared name for mayor has been agreed, and reporting does not point to a finalized choice.
Third, the method. Primaries are one proposal on the table, not a decided process.
The reporting contains political analysis and attributed interpretations; it does not establish electoral outcomes. For now, Benevento has the beginning of a difficult path — a first meeting, a defined disagreement over the coalition's shape, and a proposed method for choosing a candidate — rather than a completed alliance.
