Gianluca Festa (politician)

{{short description|Italian politician|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Gianluca Festa

|image =

|caption =

|office = Mayor of Avellino

|term_start = 28 June 2019

|term_end = 16 April 2024

|predecessor = Vincenzo Ciampi

|successor = Laura Nargi

|birth_name =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|8|13|df=y}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.comune.avellino.it/pdf/eletto_trasparenza/festa_cv.pdf|title=Curriculum Vitae|access-date=29 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620160222/http://www.comune.avellino.it/pdf/eletto_trasparenza/festa_cv.pdf|archive-date=20 June 2019|url-status=dead}}

|birth_place = Avellino, Campania, Italy

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Independent

|otherparty =

|spouse =

|children =

|alma_mater = University of Sannio

|profession = employee, basketball player

}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Gianluca Festa

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lbs = 207

| league = Serie A

| team = S.S. Felice Scandone

| team_link =

| career_number = 99

| nationality = Italian

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|8|13|df=y}}

| birth_place = Avellino, Italy

| high_school = University of Sannio

| career_start = 1999

| career_end = 2001

| years1 = 1999–2001

| team1 = S.S. Felice Scandone

}}

Gianluca Festa (born 13 August 1974 in Avellino) is an Italian politician and former professional basketball player.{{Cite news|url=http://web.legabasket.it/player/FES-GIA-74/|title=Gianluca Festa, Guardia|date=23 January 2000|work=Lega Basket|access-date=31 May 2020}}

He played the role of shooting guard for the S.S. Felice Scandone for the season '99-'00 scoring 2 points in a single match and again in the season '00-'01 scoring a maximum of 2 points in a single match.

Festa ran as an independent for the office of Mayor of Avellino at the 2019 local elections, supported by a coalition formed by centre-left and civic parties.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nuovairpinia.it/2019/06/09/avellino-elegge-il-nuovo-sindaco/|title=Avellino elegge il nuovo sindaco. Gianluca Festa vince per 692 voti: "Ho rinnovato la città". Ecco il nuovo Consiglio|date=9 June 2019|work=Nuova Irpinia|access-date=29 June 2019}} He was elected on 9 June and took office on 28 June 2019.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nuovairpinia.it/2019/06/28/gianluca-festa-proclamato-sindaco-di-avellino-entro-7-giorni-la-giunta/|title=Gianluca Festa proclamato Sindaco di Avellino. Entro 7 giorni la giunta|date=28 June 2019|work=Nuova Irpinia|access-date=29 June 2019}}{{Cite news|url=https://irpiniaoggi.it/primo-piano/avellino-e-il-giorno-di-festa-avellino-rinascera-ecco-il-nuovo-consiglio-comunale/|title=Avellino, è il giorno di Festa: "Avellino rinascerà". Ecco il nuovo Consiglio Comunale|date=28 June 2019|work=Irpinia Oggi|access-date=29 June 2019}}

Festa was subject to a large amount of attention from the media on 31 May 2020 when he gathered with local youth in a main street of his city to chant controversial songs against the city of Salerno, despite the social distancing restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.it/entry/movida-con-il-sindaco-ad-avellino-folla-tra-cori-e-pugni-alzati-noi-non-siamo-salernitani_it_5ed37c7bc5b68e3de81edd53|title=Movida con il sindaco ad Avellino. Folla tra cori e pugni alzati: "Noi non siamo salernitani"|date=31 May 2020|work=Huffingtonpost|access-date=31 May 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Marino |first1=Ivan |title=Assembramenti e cori contro Salerno: notte di follia per Gianluca Festa, sindaco di Avellino |url=https://internapoli.it/gianluca-festa-sindaco-avellino/ |website=InterNapoli.it |publisher=InterNapoli |access-date=31 May 2020 |language=it-IT |date=31 May 2020}}{{cite web |title=Avellino, la follia del sindaco Festa: "dirige" giovani in assembramento |url=https://www.ilmattino.it/avellino/avellino_sindaco_festa_dirige_giovani_assembramento-5260556.html |publisher=Il Mattino |access-date=31 May 2020 |language=it |date=31 May 2020}}