Editing Padua (section)

==Government==
Since local government political reorganization in 1993, Padua has been governed by the City Council of Padua. Voters elect directly 33 councilors and the mayor of Padua every five years. The current mayor of Padua is Sergio Giordani (independent, supported by the [[Democratic Party (Italy)|PD]]), elected on 26 June 2017.

This is a list of the mayors of Padua since 1946:
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Mayor
! Term start
! Term end
! class=unsortable|&nbsp;
! Party
|-
|Gastone Costa
|align=center|1946
|align=center|1947
|bgcolor={{party color|Italian Socialist Party}}|
|[[Italian Socialist Party|PSI]]
|-
|Cesare Crescente
|align=center|1947
|align=center|1970
|bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democracy (Italy)}}|
|[[Christian Democracy (Italy)|DC]]
|-
|Ettore Bentsik
|align=center|1970
|align=center|1977
|bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democracy (Italy)}}|
|DC
|-
|Luigi Merlin
|align=center|1977
|align=center|1980
|bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democracy (Italy)}}|
|DC
|-
|Ettore Bentsik
|align=center|1980
|align=center|1981
|bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democracy (Italy)}}|
|DC
|-
|Guido Montesi
|align=center|1981
|align=center|1982
|bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democracy (Italy)}}|
|DC
|-
|Settimo Gottardo
|align=center|1982
|align=center|1987
|bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democracy (Italy)}}|
|DC
|-
|Paolo Giaretta
|align=center|1987
|align=center|1993
|bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democracy (Italy)}}|
|DC
|-
|[[Flavio Zanonato]]
|align=center|1993
|align=center|1995
|bgcolor={{party color|Democratic Party of the Left}}|
|[[Democratic Party of the Left|PDS]]
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|[[Flavio Zanonato]]
|align=center|8 May 1995
|align=center|27 June 1999
|bgcolor={{party color|Democratic Party of the Left}}|
|PDS
|-
|Giustina Mistrello Destro
|align=center|27 June 1999
|align=center|27 June 2004
|bgcolor={{party color|Forza Italia}}|
|[[Forza Italia (1994)|FI]]
|-
|[[Flavio Zanonato]]
|align=center|27 June 2004
|align=center|10 June 2013
|bgcolor={{party color|Democratic Party (Italy)}}|
|[[Democratic Party (Italy)|PD]]
|-
|Ivo Rossi <small>''(acting)''</small>
|align=center|10 June 2013
|align=center|9 June 2014
|bgcolor={{party color|Democratic Party (Italy)}}|
|PD
|-
|[[Massimo Bitonci]]
|align=center|9 June 2014
|align=center|12 November 2016
|bgcolor={{party color|Lega Nord}}|
|[[Lega Nord|LN]]
|-
|''Michele Penta* <br> Paolo De Biagi* ''
|align=center|''12 November 2016''
|align=center|''26 June 2017''
|
|
|-
|[[Sergio Giordani]]
|align=center|26 June 2017
|align=center|''incumbent''
|bgcolor={{party color|Democratic Party (Italy)}}|
|PD
|}

<small>''* '' Special prefectural commissioners, nominated after the majority of the members of the City Council resigned in order to remove the mayor from the office.</small>

While Veneto has traditionally been Italy's most conservative region, Padua as a university city has had somewhat left-wing leanings. In the 1970s, leftist groups like Potere Operaio and Autonomia Operaia were strong in the city. Since the mayors became directly elected in 1995, only two right-wing mayors have been elected: Giustina Mistrello Destro in 1999 and Massimo Bitonci in 2014.