Vito Leccese

Vito Leccese (born 2 August 1962) is an Italian politician, Mayor of Bari since 2024.

Biography
In the 1985 local elections, Leccese ran for the city council of Bari with the Federation of Green Lists, being elected city councilor at just 22 years old. In this capacity, he acts as spokesperson for environmentalist and pacifist demands, for the defense of the city's historic villas and against the construction of the new San Nicola stadium.

In 1986 in Finale Ligure he signed the founding act of the Federation of Green Lists and the following year he was involved in the victorious referendum campaign on nuclear power.

Member of the Chamber
In the 1992 elections, Leccese was a candidate for the Chamber of Deputies, among the Green lists in the Bari-Foggia constituency, being elected deputy with over 5,000 preferences, at just 29 years of age. During the 11th legislature he was part of the Culture, Science and Education Commission, of the Antimafia Commission and of the Italian Delegation to the parliamentary assemblies of the Council of Europe and the Western European Union.

After failing re-election in the 1994 elections, Leccese manages to be elected at the Chamber of Deputies in the 1996 elections; he is appointed vice-president of the Foreign and Community Affairs commission, dealing with foreign policy, protection of human rights and democratic guarantees, and carrying out some missions as an "international observer" in conflict zones in Bosnia, Albania, Serbia, Turkey and Iraq.

After the 2001 elections, disappointed by the electoral defeat in his constituency and in contrast with the new leadership of Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio in the Greens, he distanced himself from politics.

From 2007 to 2009 and from 2014 to 2023, Leccese has been the chief of staff of Mayors of Bari Michele Emiliano and Antonio Decaro.

Mayor of Bari
In the 2024 Italian local elections, Leccese, now a member of the Democratic Party, becomes the candidate of the centre-left coalition for the office of Mayor of Bari, supported by his party and by Green Europe. After obtaining 48.02% of votes at the first round, Leccese manages to win the run-off with 70.27% of votes, gaining support from the Five Star Movement and Italian Left, being elected Mayor.