«Today’s confrontation between the coalition groups on the topic of the Crc Foundation has generated a situation that requires urgent majority verification. To avoid further misunderstandings, we await the convocation of the Majority Coordination and abandon the work of this City Council.” With this note, the Centro per Cuneo council group sensationally abandoned the chamber, already reduced due to the absences of half the Pd group, and officially opened a crisis in the majority of the mayor Patrizia Manassero.
It happened this evening around 7.30 pm, while a question from Ugo Sturlese on Villa Invernizzi was being discussed. Councilor Alessandro Spedale did not have time to respond when some minority councilors began to protest and raise their voices when the representatives of Centro per Cuneo left the room en masse. Then all hell happened and the Prime Minister, Marco Vernetti, suspended the session and called the group leaders’ conference which is currently underway.
The issue concerns the appointments in the Crc Foundation, with the designation of the former mayor Federico Borgna and the lawyer Luisella Cavallo, which would have created a fracture in the majority. In particular, Centro per Cuneo would push for Beppe Delfino, (coordinator of the list) on the board of directors alongside the president in pectore Mauro Gola (who won the challenge with Borgna).
The chairs remain half empty among the majority benches, Civallero asked for the quorum to be verified, although this is not necessary (recalled Claudia Carli, leader of the PD group), for the discussion of the questions. Councilor Spedale was speaking and the opposition groups blurted out and shouted “Shame” and other epithets. «It is not very elegant – Lauria continues – that a discussion is often missing almost all or a good part of the majority and that the proceedings are maintained by the presence of the minority. It makes us want to send everyone to hell.” A few moments later, Giancarlo Boselli (Independent) reveals the Centro per Cuneo message with the request for a majority verification: «A journalist sent it to me. This is a shameful, very heavy act that opens up the crisis and, moreover, without even having the courage to do it in the Council. Madam mayor, take an initiative before the city. And you, president, suspend the council, we are faced with a very serious matter.” Ugo Sturlese (Cuneo for Common Goods) is along the same lines: «Clearly opening a political crisis and done in contemptuous terms, towards the opposition and the majority. We’ve never seen anything like this.”
Claudio Bongiovanni (Cuneo Mia) added: «The electoral campaign that the Center for Cuneo is running for the centre-right (some representatives are candidates for the regional elections for governor Cirio, ed.), embarrasses us too. It creates enormous discomfort and seeing me sitting at the table as an opposition makes my blood boil, even when faced with a statement that doesn’t seem truthful to me.” Reference to the fact that some would have gone to Borgo San Dalmazzo to the rally of Marco Gallo, mayor of Busca and candidate with Cirio.
«If you are indignant, we in the center-right are even more so – says Mavi Civallero of the SìAmo Cuneo group -. These people are just looking for a piece of cake and I hope no one gives it to them. A great rudeness, the councilor Spedale was talking about, they could at least wait for him to finish and then get up. A minimum of respect. They are shameful.” Even the father Franco Civallero (Forza Italia did not send word to them, while Beppe Lauria, shortly before the suspension, still expressed solidarity with the mayor Manassero: «Humanly I feel close to her. Something like this has never happened, highlights the blackmail. Either she, the mayor, will demonstrate that she has the attributes, or I will be remembered as the mayor who managed the blackmail.”
The minority councilors then left the room and President Vernetti had to close the meeting due to lack of a quorum. It will resume – if possible – tomorrow at 5pm when the session has been adjourned. In the evening, in a message to La Stampa, mayor Manassero clarifies her position: «I’m waiting to speak with the majority. I do not accept being subject to blackmail.”
