If it’s not open war, tensions are certainly running high. TO Moncalieri there’s a rift between the mayor Paolo Montagna and the Councilor for Culture Laura Pompeowho accused the mayor of having effectively ousted her, blocking her deliberations in the last period.
All born after the appointment of Davide Guida
The tension had been brewing for some time and exploded over the weekend, a few days after the vote which saw Pompeo not elected to the Regional Council for just 16 preferences less than Francesco Casciano. It all started at the beginning of the year, after the choice made by Mayor Montagna to appoint Davide Guida as his deputywith a decision that many have seen as a sort of investiture towards the 2026 municipal elections, when the second mandate of the current mayor will expire.
A decision certainly not appreciated by Laura Pompeo, who had seen her main political ‘sponsor’, the Hon Mauro Laus, prophesy her as the future mayor of Moncalieri. Then came the candidacy for the regional elections from the Democratic Party, which at the same time also chose to nominate two other exponents of Moncalieri, the municipal councilor Nicoletta Persico and especially Silvia di CrescenzoMontagna’s loyalist.
Three candidates, none elected in the Region
A choice that in the end did not pay off: the Democratic Party in Moncalieri collected 36% of the votes, but with three candidates in the field, dividing preferences instead of concentrating them on a single subject, it was unable to bring any representative of the City to sit in Palazzo Lascaris, despite Pompeo and Di Crescenzo together having obtained 10 thousand votes.
While awaiting the outcome of the recount requested by Pompeo, the Councilor for Culture attacked Mayor Montagna, denouncing that she had in fact been deposed in the last period. He made accusations that the mayor forcefully rejected: “No one here has been ousted, no powers have been removed and there is no war underway. We must all continue to work in the interests of the City, stop making controversies or making accusations, Moncalieri comes first. Indeed, Moncalieri more than before, as per the slogan of the campaign that we intend to launch shortly to understand what we still need to do more and better, already looking to the 2026 vote“.
Montagna: “No one was ousted”
Laura Pompeo, however, continues to keep the point: “Haven’t I been dismissed? From the words said in the last meeting and from the actions of the last few months (at least since February 29th) it seems to me exactly the opposite in reality“.
Montagna responds to Pompeo’s words, saying that he was not the one who created this situation: “He used unacceptable tones when faced with the decision to appoint me as my deputy Guide, I simply exercised the prerogatives of a mayor, choosing Davide who is one of the political excellences of this city“. Words to which Pompeo responds by saying: “I have never made any controversy but I legitimately expressed my thoughts on the appointment made by the mayor. My statements had nothing harmful either towards Montagna or Guida. I expressed a political opinion for the future of Moncalieri“.
“No personal issue, political clarification needed”
On his relations with Pompeo, Mayor Montagna cuts it short: “There is no personal issue between us, we need clarification on a political issue, which I hope will be done as soon as possible in the appropriate places, primarily during the municipal council. Others are the ones who sparked the controversy, not me“.
And looking at the 2026 vote, he closes by saying: “I don’t decide anything. The center-left coalition table is convened for the second week of September to start talking about the selection of candidates and define a first draft of the program, to do everything well and in time“.
