For now, there has been no cancellation of the Puglia Region Council: in the evening, the governor Michele Emiliano launched a mini reshuffle with the entry of three councillors, while two resigned. The two external members who left the government team were: the former Forzista Rocco Palese, councilor for health, and Anna Grazia Maraschio, councilor for the environment on the Italian left. “Considering the current political situation, I thought it appropriate to formalize my resignation as councillor, also in the hope that this could favor a quicker solution that would allow the regional government to resume and continue working for the good of the citizens of Puglia”, said Palese .
The three new councilors
The three new councilors are the lawyer Serena Triggiani, who received the delegation for the Environment, waste cycle and reclamation, parks, industrial risk, housing policies, industrial crises and gender policies; Viviana Matrangola, who obtained the delegation to Culture, protection and development of cultural enterprises, legality and social anti-mafia; and the regional councilor of the Democratic Party Debora Ciliento, who becomes head of the Department of Transport and Sustainable Mobility in place of the resigning Anita Maurodinoia, investigated in an investigation by the Bari Prosecutor’s Office into an alleged vote swap. The departments of Health and Welfare remain vacant, the latter left by the five-star Rosa Barone.
Schlein wanted a “clear change of pace”
A mini reshuffle which, however, does not meet the request that came from the national secretary of the Democratic Party Elly Schlein, after the investigations and arrests that overwhelmed Apulian politics. Schlein had spoken of “a clear change of pace”: therefore, at least five changes in the council were hypothesized, but for now three have arrived.
see also
Puglia, Conte: “M5S away from the council”. Schlein to Emiliano: change of phase
Emiliano will be heard in the parliamentary anti-mafia commission
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Emiliano and the Bari prosecutor Roberto Rossi will be heard in the parliamentary anti-mafia commission on the events and investigations linked to the alleged buying and selling of votes. This was decided by the bureau of the commission. “Michele Emiliano will be heard by the Anti-Mafia commission. President Colosimo has accepted my request to summon the governor of Puglia quickly. A date should be set soon. The time has come for Michele Emiliano to explain what is happening in that region and in Bari “, commented Senator Raffaella Paita, national coordinator of Italia viva and member of the Anti-Mafia commission.
The motion of no confidence
The governor is also dealing with the no-confidence motion announced by the centre-right, which will be discussed on May 7. The motion will be tabled on Wednesday morning, but it doesn’t seem to be able to put Emiliano in difficulty, at least in terms of numbers given that the centre-left majority should vote against it in a united manner. The same position will be taken by the M5S group, as announced by its group leader Marco Galante: “We cannot vote for a motion of no confidence in the actions of the regional council and we do not accept any type of lesson or attempt at exploitation from the centre-right. We have left the perimeter of the majority and restored the delegations, but this does not mean, as also reiterated by President Conte, denying the work done by both councilor Barone and delegated councilor Grazia Di Bari in recent years”, he explained. In recent hours the centre-right had “invited” the M5S to vote on the motion after abandoning the majority. Precisely to meet the requests of the Five Star Movement, Emiliano created the Department of Legality.
