REGGIO CALABRIA – Bridge over the Strait, the Municipality of Reggio listens to the voice of the people and does so today in the extraordinary session of the municipal council opened with a single point on the agenda: “Bridge over the Strait – Prospects and implications for Reggio Calabria and the its metropolitan city”. But there is something new and a last-minute surprise. The novelty is of a logistical-organisational nature: even if the forecasts say otherwise, due to the “current uncertainty of the weather conditions, the sudden worsening of which could jeopardize the correct carrying out of the works”, the municipal administration moves the venue of the meeting open to citizens’ contributions. No longer Piazza Italia, but the traditional “Piero Battaglia” council chamber of Palazzo San Giorgio.
The surprise, however, is of a political nature. Forza Italia will not be there. A controversial absence linked to the implications of the “Ducale” investigation, by Ros and Dda, which among those under investigation for political-mafia exchange votes during the municipal and regional elections of 2020 and 2021 includes the mayor Giuseppe Falcomatà (Pd), the regional group leader of Fdi, Giuseppe Neri, and the municipal group leader of the Democratic Party, Giuseppe Sera (READ THE NEWS). For the FI council group, today’s event is nothing more than “yet another parade of hypocrisy while something much more important is happening in the city.” The Azzurri do not deny the repeatedly claimed guaranteeist positions (also expressed by the Reggio MP Francesco Cannizzaro in a hot tone), but they do not consider participation in today’s council to be appropriate.
«At the same time, however, the gravity of the certainly not first judicial episode that has affected the Falcomatà administration and neighboring entities in all these years, in our way of seeing, takes away meaning and priority from any other topic – clarify the city councilors Federico Milia , Antonino Maiolino and Roberto Vizzari – It is meaningless to talk about Ponte in such a delicate moment for our reality. The ongoing investigations against some members of the party that has governed Reggio for years, as well as the mayor, cannot leave us indifferent, and should not leave the other members of the Reggio municipal council indifferent either.” A choice, therefore, “as a sign above all of respect towards the citizens of Reggio”.
Faced with the request for the investigation documents by the parliamentary anti-mafia commission and the feared risk of the Municipality being placed under special administration, the Forzista group asks Falcomatà to take a step back. «Once again we see the name of our splendid city hit the headlines in the national news due to judicial issues, despite the enormous efforts made by the Region and the Deputation to bring Reggio out of the tunnel – comment the Berlusconi supporters – With the lights of the parliamentary bodies of investigation focused on this umpteenth episode, with the risk of a possible commissionership of the Municipality, our appeal to the mayor is to listen to common sense by resigning before the city falls back into a drama already experienced. Resigning on his part would be a great act of responsibility for Reggio and for the people of Reggio.”
Instead, the metropolitan councilors of the centre-left majority who rally around the mayor, “victim of an absurd media storm”, speak of an “absurd mud machine” and a “game of massacre”. Sanitary cordon also mounted by the municipal groups of Italia Viva and La Svolta.
