German national Eike Schmidt has failed in his attempt to become mayor of Florence after a run-off election conducted in the Italian city on Sunday and Monday. Schmidt, who was backed by Italy’s right-wing national coalition led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, secured 39.4% of the vote behind Social Democrat Sara Funaro with 60.6%, the electoral commission announced. Funaro will be the city’s first female mayor. Florence, a city with a population of 360,000, is seen as a left-wing bastion, and Funaro’s victory had been widely predicted. She succeeds Dario Nardella, another Social Democrat, w…