«Sicily has outdone itself in these elections. Forza Italia numbers, 23% of the votes in the region, equal to approximately 16% of the overall votes at a national level, correspond to at least one and a half percentage points of the overall excellent national result. These data confirm that our party is the natural meeting point of moderates of liberal and pro-European inspiration and confirm Sicily as a historic basin of consensus for Forza Italia.” Renato Schifani says it, president of the National Council of Forza Italia and president of the Region, adding: «The number of preferences received by all the candidates on the list testifies to their great commitment and roots, the many votes expressed simply on the symbol are an indication of a vote of an opinion that expresses appreciation for a political history that was born with the vision of Silvio Berlusconi and continues today in the great work carried out by Secretary Tajani. For all of us who, in addition to having a party role, are called to important institutional roles, all this means further responsibilities, it means even greater commitment to providing answers to our citizens and our communities. Above all, it means giving voice and representation at all levels to the requests of citizens, businesses, civil society, families, who, in recognizing the goodness of our work, ask us to continue our work and maintain the commitments undertaken”.
Lombardo: “Certain contribution of the Mpa in the primacy of Fi”
«There is no doubt that the contribution of the Movement for autonomy has determined, to a significant extent, the primacy of Forza Italia in Sicily and the success of Caterina Chinnici who, with over 90 thousand preferential votes, establishes herself as the winner morality of competition. And at the same time the Mpa must be recognized for its contribution to the holding of the regional government chaired by Renato Schifani”. This was declared by the former president of the Region, Raffaele Lombardo, commenting on the result obtained by Caterina Chinnici and Forza Italia in the elections for the renewal of the European Parliament. «We were by far – adds Lombardo – the greatest supporters of the choice of the national secretary Antonio Tajani to entrust the honorable Chinnici with the position of head of the list in the constituency of Sicily and Sardinia. While it must be kept in mind that the attempt to undermine the value of that choice was done by fielding certain third-placed teams 'ad excludendum' from the league leaders. And it must be said that he was disappointed by the stingy response to the consensus gathered from the Sardinian candidates in Sicily.” «The extraordinary commitment of administrators, managers and militants and of many young people and women who found themselves in this electoral campaign around Caterina Chinnici – observes Raffaele Lombardo – calls for being able to express the autonomist program more effectively within the framework of Forza Italia and the European People's Party. And he demands – concludes the autonomist leader – that every day's political and administrative action be inspired, also in the name of Chinnici, by the principles of moral and financial rigor and the long distance from any form of crime”.
Grasso: “Schifani has the absolute majority of popular consensus”
“As was predictable, the opposition's Cassandras at the Sicilian Regional Assembly were sensationally denied by this weekend's vote, from which it emerges unequivocally that the coalition that supports President Schifani has the absolute majority of popular consensus, compared to of an opposition that does not even reach 40%”. With these words Bernardette Grasso, regional deputy of Forza Italia, comments on the result of the Azzurri at the European Championships.
“For those of us who are used to working in local areas in contact with people – says Grasso – this result is not at all a surprise as it is for those who live on useless and sterile controversies for their own sake.
Far from pushing the Government: two data emerge from the polls: the extraordinary result of Forza Italia and the appreciation of the Sicilians towards the regional Government in its entirety. Above all, the political leadership of President Schifani is strengthened, so he will be able to continue the work started in these two years, also in the fruitful dialogue with the national government”.