Benevento Democratic Party disputes local economic growth claims

The Benevento Democratic Party (PD) has challenged claims made by Mayor Clemente Mastella and Councilor Ambrosone regarding economic growth in the Sannio region. The local administration had cited Movimprese data from the third quarter of 2026 as evidence of “absolute excellence” in economic results.

The PD leadership argues that the cited data reflects the balance between business registrations and closures across the entire province of 78 municipalities, rather than the city of Benevento alone. They further contend that the province's growth has lagged behind the national average. According to the party's analysis of the last ten years, while Italy's business index rose from 100 in 2016 to 107.7, the province of Benevento rose only to 104.9.

Specifically, the party noted that since the start of the Mayor's second mandate in late 2021, the province grew by 0.3% compared to a national growth of 4.1%. The PD also highlighted significant business losses in recent quarters, stating the province saw a loss of 256 businesses in the first quarter of 2024 and another 201 in the first quarter of 2025, marking the worst performance in the Campania region.