A provincial question and a small village in Bosnia open a “case” around Trentini nel Mondo, the association that has been operating since 1957 with the aim of social solidarity and as an instrument of aggregation and assistance for Trentino migrants and their descendants, and to its recent elective assembly. The provincial councilors of the League Alberto Paccher, Stefania Segnana and Mirko Bisesti signed the question, addressed directly to the president of the Province Maurizio Fugatti. Province called to express its opinion on what happened because, as the councilors recall in the text of the question, «In 2023 alone, the Association collected over 770,000 euros from the Province intended for the management costs of the association, for association activities, as well as for solidarity (management costs, subsidies and study grants) and some funding for specific projects”.
The question
In the text delivered to the Provincial Council, the councilors write that «we now learn that in recent months, a fair number of members of the association have been «suspended» (an option not foreseen either by the Statute or by the Implementing Regulation) by the Council board after having been admitted by resolution of the same board only a few days earlier”. The councilors then note that “this operation takes place in the weeks preceding the annual meeting of 20 April which in the case of the current year also included the renewal of elective positions”. At this point the members subject to the suspension “resorted to the action of a lawyer to request compliance with the Statute and the Regulations, the restoration of their membership status or, as a last resort, that their appeal be brought to the Assembly”. However, the councilors say, Trentini nel Mondo not only did not respond or grant those suspended any appeal, but it seems that it “even physically prevented these people from participating in the meeting, thus also denying the right to vote (and to be a possible candidate for the elective positions) to members regularly accepted by resolution of the board of directors”.
The dispute in Bosnia
Councilor Paccher then explains in more detail the story that begins in Stivor, a small town in Bosnia with 270 inhabitants, all of Valsuganotta Trentino origin. Yes, because several families from Valsugana settled there after the Brenta flood of 1882. And with the passage of time this small town has become a true Trentino enclave on Bosnian land. «There has always existed a club of Trentinos in the World there – explains Roberto Paccher – Except that some local people complained about its inactivity and therefore decided to found a new one with which to relaunch relationships». So at the end of 2023 the new club completed the formalities and requested admission to Trentino nel Mondo. «The admission of the club and its members was accepted in January without any problems – explains Paccher – But then it turned out that there was a dispute between the new Stivor club and the old one». At this point therefore, apparently in self-protection, Trentini nel Mondo has decided to suspend the new members. «But the association’s statute does not provide for this possibility – specifies Paccher – A member can be admitted, his request can be rejected or he can be expelled for valid reasons. But the suspension does not exist.”
The lesson
In all this, therefore, around ten members were unable to participate in a vote, the one to elect the new president of Trentini nel Mondo, which saw Armando Maistri and Maria Carla Failo facing each other and which saw the latter win but by a handful of votes. There is more in the text of the question, the councilors write that “it would appear that during the meeting some irregularities occurred at the time of voting, in relation to the voting method via proxy”. For this reason the councilors asked the Province to investigate the issue further.
