The run off voting in Italian provincial and city elections on 26 and 27 June was a blow to Silvio Berlusconi's Casa della Libert coalition. The opposition centre-left gained ground, winning 51 provinces compared with 10 won by the centre-right, and 22 provincial capitals with 8 by the centre-right. The results showed that voters from the Northern League, partners in the centre-right government, who had been asked to vote for the centre-right candidates in the run off elections did not necessarily do so.

The turnout was down to 57,3 per cent compared to 76,6 per cent at the first round. The first very hot weekend of the summer meant that large numbers of people went to the beach or to the countryside instead of to the polling stations.