The Municipality of Catania today approved the 2024/2026 budget forecast. It should have done so by December 31 last year; then by March 15 this year.
Only after the intervention of the Sicilian Region which envisaged sending a commissioner was its approval finally reached in a hurry on 26 April.
Faced with a request from the opposition aimed at understanding what consequences the delay would have, the administration was unable to respond, leaving the answer to the offices. Even though she was warned, she awaited the injunctions of the Sicilian Region and forced the commissions and the council into a hasty examination. Given the times, the group leader was forced to opt to hold the council meeting in a mixed, completely informal way, i.e. online and in person. But there is some irony in this passage. In fact the budget is constrained. It is not possible to make any changes in the sums allocated to the different spending programs. In short, useless reading and study if the council cannot give any direction to government action. This is due to the fact that although the five years of the bankruptcy ended on 31 December 2023, in reality the bankruptcy continues because the administration would not have been able to absorb the debt not yet repaid by the liquidation commission.
The council found itself faced with a large list of public works that it has never approved and whose implementation times and overall logic it does not know.
As if that wasn’t enough, the administration appeared in the chamber totally unprepared for some amendments presented by the opposition on the DUP (Single Planning Document). In fact, in the chamber he did not provide exhaustive answers on the management of real estate assets, in some cases the object of investment but at the same time included in the divestment plan, forcing the President to make an embarrassing interruption in the session.
In short, a real suspension of democracy, which increasingly takes on illiberal colours. But if rights are compressed on one side they will be felt on another side. In a certainly disorganized and not at all efficient way. In short, a real disaster (or disruption if you want).
The M5s and Pd council groups
