The national networks – the public service is very lazy and late, so much so as to make one think badly – have reported the outcome of the administrative elections in the capital, Caltanissetta, but nothing about Gela, despite the fact that the highest number of voters in the province of Caltanissetta vote in Gela.
The bureaucratic vision of the media raises perplexity, the recent vote in Gela represents the metaphor, which has become central, of the political debate improperly opened by the second-largest state official, Ignazio La Russa from Catania, on the unbearability of the run-off and the need to get it out of the way, due first, in his opinion, of the worsening of a phenomenon, abstentionism, which is harmful to democracy.
The vote in Gela confirms a national fact, that the number of abstainers increases in the second round, but it also demonstrates that voters, stripped of their affiliation and deprived of their favorite candidate, freely choose the profile of the mayor.
It is for this reason that the voters closest to the centre-right, who in the first round had given a large part of their support to an old militant of the Brothers of Italy, Totò Scerra, preferred the centre-left mayoral candidate, Terenziano Di Stefano.
La Russa’s regret is understandable, as he scrutinizes the world from the perspective of his belonging rather than from the command deck of the State, but completely unreasonable, because putting the ballot in the dock as the cause of abstentionism is like stating that the earth is flat and the birds prefer to use their legs rather than their wings.
An episode to think about concerns gender applications. It is not true, as evidenced by the electoral result, that female candidates “pull” more than male candidates regardless; candidates are successful if their profile is convincing and they deserve the trust of citizens.
When they win, and they succeeded in many municipalities in this electoral round, it means that they had what it takes to gain trust. Grazia Cosentino’s card was not the right one, according to the opinion of the Gela voters. Gender has nothing to do with the verdict.
Other elements on the outcome of the Gela vote should be observed with interest, even if they apparently appear to belong to the particular local reality. I report two episodes, which in my opinion are emblematic of the current political moment and the peculiar character of administrative competitions.
The absence of Angelo Caci, the new city councilor, the most supported, from the stage of the mayoral candidate Grazia Cosentino, worries the minds and shakes the feelings of those who participated in the electoral campaign with fervor and justified interest.
No less apprehension aroused, the day after the verdict of the polls, the endorsement of Totò Scerra, mayoral candidate who emerged from the electoral dispute with a very high consensus, in favor of Cosentino. In the first case, the absence was hastily judged a desertion, in the second the endorsement was judged severely: given the results, the votes obtained by Scerra in the first round, more than 21 percent, went elsewhere or remained…at home in the run-off.
The two episodes, beyond the facts, offer an unusual (but far from unique) interpretation of the outcome of the electoral campaign, which crowned Terenziano Di Stefano as first citizen of Gela to the detriment of the highly favored Grazia Cosentino, candidate the entire range of the centre-right, net of the lacerating internal divisions.
The most mischievous hypothesis has it that Angelo Caci, considered Grazia Cosentino’s most influential supporter, probably beyond her real potential, perceived the unfavorable climate for the candidate in time on the eve of the opening of the polls, and took a formal step back to recompose the image of a talented manager and successful entrepreneur, which had become exaggeratedly entangled in the political conflict.
The 21 percent of votes won with his own list and with merit in the first round by the candidate for mayor (who exited in the first round) Totò Scerra deserve equal consideration. Where has the mass of support given to a very accredited right-wing militant in his area gone? The idea that Scerra cheated, the suspicion is legitimate, is suggestive, but it is a witch hunt.
It is very probable, indeed I would put my hand on fire, that Totò Scerra did not tear his clothes in favor of Grazia Cosentino and that his endorsement in her favor is part of a rite of devotion to the area of political affiliation, Brothers of Italy, but nothing more. Since his heart is not in command, the young man, treated like a fish in his face by his political side, which preferred Grazia Cosentino, did not find any sufficient motivation, especially after the (alleged) refusal to join the ballot.
The followers closest to Scerra? It is probable that to some extent they stayed at home, lowering the quotient of voters voting in favor of their opponent; equally likely that a large group chose the centre-left candidate. If this is the case, and Gela is a metaphor for the current political moment, it is necessary to reflect on the survival (or otherwise) of political affiliations and on the now decisive value of the leadership profile.
In a broader context, the absence of the winner of the preferences Caci from the stage of the candidate for mayor Cosentino, appears to be an episode of modest importance, to be kept within the realm of convenience and strictly personal evaluations, while the cluster of votes dispersed or passed into the opponents’ camp so much as to double the percentage, constitutes a very relevant political fact.
Societies evolve, as do ideas. Technological innovations have built a universal stage for leadership, at every level. The relationship between those who vote and those who are voted is direct and factors related to the city reality prevail, but image counts more than the program. Nothing but visibility is needed, not even political incoherence dents consensus.
When a politician frequently changes positions, he or she may be perceived as opportunistic or unreliable, but if he or she maintains the same positions, he or she may appear rigid and disconnected from current reality. Inconsistency is a double-edged sword. It can represent adaptability, compromise, and evolution, but it can also represent loss of trust, instability, and exploitation.
What should Gela expect from the new civic administration? Nothing and everything, one might say. It is completely senseless to expect El Dorado, but it is only harmful to show exasperated skepticism. Granting trust is essential. What can and must be expected is a return to the rules.
The bureaucratic machine of the municipality of Gela has jammed, the administrators have not noticed it so far. Anarchy reigns, the let it beabuse. And the best resources of the community are left on the margins. Recovering good daily administration, respect for the rules, participation, would be a good start.
