The League in Forlì not only falls apart even before entering the City Council, but also sees the presidency of the assembly vanish. Which remains vacant. The inauguration session this afternoon at the Palasport in the neighborhood symbol of the flood and in front of over a hundred people, the Romiti, therefore reserves surprises, which in reality confirm the rumors of the last few days.
Yesterday Massimiliano Pompignoli made official the exit of the Carroccio to join the Mixed Group and the aftershocks of this earthquake can be felt today in the sports hall. The Lega Nord member Daniele Mezzacapo, the political “godson” of Mayor Gian Luca Zattini and president of the City Council in pectore, is absent from the roll call. However, at least at the beginning everything goes smoothly and they are proclaimed mayor and councilors. Zattini feels “the emotion as if it were the first time” and thanks all the people of Forlì and the “opponent and friend” Graziano Rinaldini, who will later be appointed coordinator of the opposition, and who during the electoral campaign “did not exceed correct institutional relationships”. Now, as “mayor of all” as per his role, he must “start again for the good of the city – he underlines – with clarity of roles but a willingness to collaborate”. So, an outstretched hand on priorities, from the post-flood and the safety of the territory, “we need to speed up the compensations, families need an injection of confidence”, to the Pnrr; from the family to the University and young people, from the environment to the conciliation of home and work. “We hope for five simpler years – he concludes – to make Forlì a point of reference in Romagna”.
We then move on to the election of the president of the assembly, which requires a qualified majority of two-thirds in the first three votes. Albert Bentivogli of the League proposes Marco Catalano of Fratelli d’Italia, while in turn Fabrizio Ragni of Fdi launches Loris Ceredi of La Civica-Forlì cambia who receives the support of Forza Italia. Alessandro Gasperini of the Democratic Party asks to suspend the session to consult on the two names and when it resumes the Democrats attack. Rinaldini reconstructs the last few days: first the proposal of the mayor of Mezzacapo, “unacceptable for us due to his arrogant and impartial ways”, and this morning at 10 that of Ceredi, supported by the entire majority. But “it is not like that and for us it is difficult to understand”.
Hence the third candidacy, that of the Democrat Giovanni Bucci.
“We started off on the wrong foot,” confirms his colleague Michele Valli, while for Federico Morgagni “after a flurry of phone calls, the mayor is disavowed by the majority but neither of the two proposals has the necessary requirements.” Gasperini wonders if the League is still part of the majority and stigmatizes the “blackmail” start of the council work.
Diana Scirri of the Green and Left Alliance also accuses the majority of “intimidating attitude, with the threat of not assigning us the vice-presidency”. While Eros Brunelli of the 5 Star Movement cuts short: “You are unable to reach an agreement, far from being united”.
Ragni gives an opposite reading: “Sorry for the opposition’s departure, the candidacies are formulated in the Chamber not in the corridors. We offered the vice-presidency to the minority to guarantee everyone” and instead it is taken as a “pretext a small slip-up”. Leonardo Gallozzi of La Civica-Forlì cambia finds “the opposition’s will to block the work is clear. One is the name, the other comes from an individual”. However, the Lega’s Bentivogli does not agree: “I am in the majority and I represent the 4,600 voters of the Lega. There is nothing strange in debating on names”. Better to “concentrate on the real problems”, notes Damiano Bartolini of Fdi. Thus, Ceredi is voted for, 15 preferences, Bucci, 11, and Catalano, one. But there is no lack of surprises here either: in the majority there are four abstentions and one non-vote, while Bentivogli himself corrects his initial vote of abstention to that of Catalano. Everything is therefore postponed to the next session, with two more votes by qualified majority and, if necessary, a final run-off.
“Not a nice show,” comments temporary president Elisa Massa, the oldest councilor: the hope is that “we reach a common will for a representative figure. This is a defeat for the city.”
The group leaders are then made official: Ragni for Fdi, Gallozzi for La Civica-Forlì cambia, Alberto Gentili for Fi, Bentivogli for the League, Popignoli for the mixed group; Gasperini for the Pd, Elena Colangelo for Rinnoviamo Forlì, Brunelli for M5s, Scirri for Avs. The coordinator of the minority Rinaldini promises “a conscious but attentive opposition”, which will hold the flag of the flood victims high. The last act is the appointment of the municipal electoral commission. In addition to the mayor, Massa, Vinicio Pala of Fi and Cristina Tassinari of Fdi are members as effective members; Valli, the civic Lucia Crispino and Gabriella Fagnoli of Fdi are substitutes.
