See also: List of leaders of Costa Azzurra
A recall referendum has been called in the Republic of Costa Azzurra, following the Panama Papers leak and subsequent revelation that the country's president, Vittorio Sterpa, has been involved in illegal offshore financial activities.
The last election was held in 2014, and resulted in an overall victory for the liberal Radical Republican Party. While presidents in Costa Azzurra normally serve six year terms, President Sterpa could be replaced by a rival in the 2016 recall election, who would then go on to serve for the remainder of Sterpa's original term, until 2020.
The system
Presidential elections in Costa Azzurra are held using the first-past-the-post system, while elections to the 60-seat Congress are directly tied to the results of the presidential race. That is, should a candidate receive 10% of the vote, his/her party would receive 10% of Congress seats. 50 of the 60 Congress seats are proportionally elected this way -- the remaining 10 are awarded to the winning candidate's party as a majority bonus.
Halfway throuh a president's term, midterm elections are held, where the 50 proportional seats in Congress are up for grabs. Hence, Congressmen are subject to 3-year terms. The next midterm elections were originally scheduled for 2017, and general elections in 2020. However, due to the circumstances of the recall referendum, the Congressmen elected in this election will serve until 2020 -- the same applies to whoever wins the presidency.
The candidates
• Vittorio Sterpa — he is the leader of the center-liberal Radical Republican Party (PRR). He succeeded fellow PRR bigwig Mario Bonsignore as President of Costa Azzurra in the 2014 general election. During Sterpa's presidency, the country's economy has seen an average annual growth rate of 0.6%, with unemployment hovering at a high 10%.
Politically, he is pro-immigration, pro-multiculturalism and pro-European. He has also described himself as a feminist, capitalist and environmentalist. Despite his culturally leftist-style views, he generally favors free trade, and has lowered the minimum wage on several occasions. Sterpa claims that boosting international investment in Costa Azzurra is the ideal solution to the Euro crisis, which has hit Costa Azzurra hard. He is 70 years old.
Due to the recent corruption allegations against him and a sluggish economy, Sterpa's approval rating has plummeted to a mere 23%, from 67% in 2014. He currently trails behind both the two other candidates in the polls. Should he win the recall vote, he would be allowed to serve the remaining 4 years of his term.
• Francesco Azzopardi — he is the fiercest critic of the current liberal government, and the leader of the Labor Federation (FL), a syncretic movement combining populism, left-wing nationalism and socialist economics. He previously served as mayor of Città Azzurra, the country's capital, from 2000 to 2012.
Politically, Azzopardi emphasizes economic issues, and favors national self-sufficiency in terms of food and energy, and wishes for the country to leave the European Union. He is considered moderate on social issues, such as immigration and LGBT rights, while having expressed solidarity with both groups. Gender equality, on the other hand, has been a major plank of his campaign. Azzopardi pushes for a Keynesian solution to the economic crisis, and advocates increased government spending on social and employment programs in order to alleviate the crisis. He is 66 years old.
Azzopardi's base of support has traditionally lied primarily in the country's rural population, but his ratings have exploded since 2015, currently soaring above both his rivals. His approval is roughly 56%.
• Marina Cirio — she would be the first femle President of Costa Azzurra if she won the 2016 election. Cirio is currently a Congresswoman representing the main opposition National Democratic Union (UDN), a conservative group. Previously, she was Foreign Minister for three years under the 1996‒2008 UDN governments.
Politically, she contrasts with her two male opponents in being openly anti-feminist. On matters of immigration and religion, her statements have previously stirred major controversy, in particular when she labelled the Muslim minority (10% of the population, mostly descendants of 19-20th century Arab merchants) in Costa Azzurra as "invaders". In line with the rest of her party, she supports increased international trade on the European level, but opposes increased European political integration. Finally, she has been an active campaigner against same-sex marriage. She is 51 years old.
Belonging to the right-wing of the UDN, her nomination as the party's candidate was controversial. While her approval stands relatively high (43%), her disapproval is significantly higher (55%), highlighting her polarizing image. In voting intention, she currently lies in a distant second/third place, behind Azzopardi and roughly tied with Sterpa.
