“In an extraordinary situation, the center-right responded in an extraordinary way, realizing that the nomination of a civic candidate can make the difference.” This is how Marcello Scurria explains the centre-right’s choice to support his candidacy for mayor.
How much civic remains in this project?
«You will see it with the mayor’s list. We did not want to engage in unrealistic battles, giving electoral advantages to the current tenants of Palazzo Zanca, we can make a difference. Then it’s clear, it’s simple to decide in a single party, where there are multiple parties, the effort of democracy and dialectics leads to longer times.”
How does a civic project merge with a structured coalition, which within it has heavy surnames, such as Genovese?
«The last two campaigns De Luca won due to the errors and delays of others, this time the candidate is even there before the mayor leaves. We look at the parties, the people who represent them are all worthy in my opinion, and then electoral campaigns are won with votes. No more advantages for the opponents, I repeat. On Genovese: I resigned as secretary of the DS in 2006 because I didn’t agree with his actions, but twenty years have passed, and Genovese administered for two years. The MPA representative is Luigi, who is 31 years old, younger than my daughter and certainly cannot pay for his father’s mistakes.”
Gaetano Sciacca was no longer there. Do you mind?
«I think that, as legitimate, he has seen that determination to avoid the mistakes I was talking about disappear in his group. I don’t know what he’s going to do, I know he’s working on a list. He would have had space and a role within the Administration due to his specific skills. In any case I still discuss with him.”
Will having shared part of the journey with Cateno De Luca be more of an advantage or a limitation?
«First of all I would like to start by saying that I was certainly not invented by De Luca. I was there before and he was there too. I worked mainly for recovery, our meeting did not change our lives, but that of many people. In 2022 I didn’t like the barracks list, nor the vulgar attacks on Matilde. Having never entered the magic circle, which became increasingly narrower, his story then changed.”
Let’s talk about programs. What do you have in mind?
«I will do the program together with the Centre-right, certainly, but having a civic vocation we will build it with people, by listening, neighborhood after neighborhood. Then there is the vision of the city that goes beyond essential services, and which must take into account the Bridge issue. The mayor must approach the relationship with the national government in a different way, with a serious dialogue that does not change from day to day. I think of the fact that the Bridge has only now been included in the Master Plan, which after 8 years has not seen the light of day. For compensatory works, which I like to call complementary, you shouldn’t go to Rome with your hat in your hand. And then: is it possible that the Municipality doesn’t have a special office dedicated to the Bridge topic? Messina must be ready.”
Speaking of conversations, has everything been cleared up with Schifani?
«It’s clear to everyone why I left the commissioner’s office, there was an agreement between the president and the best loser, De Luca, and I was the sacrificial victim. It was a painful act, but that moment has passed. The President of the Region does not deal with the candidates, but it is clear that there has been a clarification, and a satisfactory one at that.”
The first thing you would do as mayor?
«I’ll tell you two first things: a glass room on the ground floor of Palazzo Zanca, in which the mayor will receive the citizens in a transparent manner. Listening and transparency, when planning impactful public works, people must be involved. I’m thinking of the wrong cycle paths, the interchange car parks, a totally wrong road system. At the same time, true decentralization must be applied, more economic and human resources to the Municipalities, enough with the centralization of power.”
How many lists will you present?
«More than De Luca and Basile. Many have given us their availability. And without placing conditions.”
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