Time to take stock in the Leccio courtyard, in one of the most beautiful corners of the historic center, where yesterday the last face-to-face meeting between four mayoral candidates took place. “A non-ritual exercise of participatory democracy”, according to the definition of the CISL which organized the event and involved Massimo Mezzetti (centre-left), Luca Negrini (centre-right), Maria Grazia Modena (Modena (Modena turns the page, Up and Possibile).
The other three candidates running for the municipality were absent and did not take it well. But the union explains the choice like this: “We turned to those who in these months of the electoral campaign contacted us for a discussion and commented on our proposals for the city”. So off we go, halfway through a sunny afternoon. The venerable tree that occupies the courtyard observes with sovereign nonchalance – as many as it will have seen, in many centuries – but at least it offers a lot of shade, under the spreading foliage, to an audience of over 130 people. Slightly tense faces, handshakes and great fair play between the candidates, called to have their say with a rigid protocol and defined times for responses on the ‘five security project’ that the CISL presents for the protection of family, work and businesses. But since we are at the end of a long journey, which has seen hundreds of
meetings in the most diverse environments, the opportunity is also good to ask the protagonists what the definition of Modena is that comes from their personal experience of recent months.
Negrini responds like this: “I tried to implement a different way of doing politics, proudly finding a city that has a strong social fabric.
Too few times, however, has the administration taken into account the fact that this solid structure deserves a new impetus and an important vision of the future”. For Claudio Tonelli, however, “this is first of all a city not listened to.
There is a lack of dialogue with the municipal administration, representation and intermediate bodies are underestimated. Another aspect concerns the second generation young people of the Islamic community. They feel discriminated against, there is anger and a desire for redemption that we must channel in the right ways.”
“I found a city that was initially distrustful and then, gradually, more and more energizing”, says Maria Grazia Modena. “People stop me in the street, they want to talk, they understand that as a doctor I’m used to listening: a great experience.”
“Proud and strong-willed city”, this is the identikit according to Massimo Mezzetti.
“He certainly doesn’t recognize himself in those who describe it as being on the brink of the abyss, on the contrary he is fully aware of how much good has been built in recent years. But he also sees the critical issues: he wants to modify and adjust. These are two aspects to keep in mind for those who will govern in the future: enhance what is going well and work on what needs to be improved.”
This is precisely what the debate has focused on. The themes? Home emergency and high rents, parking and revitalization of the centre, welfare and aid for families, urban and workplace safety. With recipes that are sometimes opposite, in other cases not so dissimilar.
And with one certainty: on the topic of waste and separate collection, whoever wins, something will change in the new legislature. In the words of Mezzetti, “adopting just one method for the whole city is a wrong idea”. “I see a change of line – comments Negrini – here’s some good news”.
