The city of Messina is now in full electoral campaign in view of the spring elections which, in all likelihood, will be held on 24-25 May together with the rest of the Italian municipalities. In the last few hours the centre-right parties have made the name of Marcello Scurria official as the centre-right candidate for mayor. A choice welcomed with great enthusiasm by a great supporter of the former Commissioner for Recovery, the Undersecretary for Relations with Parliament, Matilde Siracusano. In a video published on social media, the Forza Italia exponent made a video call with Scurria himself and urged him to “win, you are the only one who can do it and free Messina from dictatorship and return to democracy. I am with you, I will be with you by your side”
Pergolizzi, president of the city council: “Dictatorship? Messina does not need to be liberated. Siracusano respects the popular will”
“I learned, through a video published on a social channel, of some statements made by the Hon. Matilde Siracusano, as well as Undersecretary of State for Relations with Parliament, in which the need to “liberate Messina from dictatorship and return it to democracy” is stated. I believe it is my duty to intervene, to protect the institution I represent and the principle of democratic legitimation that establishes every elective body. The expressions used appear particularly serious, especially if referring to a municipal administration and a City Council legitimately elected through a regular electoral debate, which ended with a free and democratic vote by the citizens of Messina, who chose Mayor Federico Basile and their representatives in the Chamber to lead the city. Democracy is exercised at the ballot box, in compliance with the rules, in the transparency of the procedures and in the acceptance of the electoral result. Talking about “dictatorship” in a context in which all local institutions operate in full compliance with the republican system risks emptying the meaning of a term that belongs to much more dramatic historical periods political confrontation is not only legitimate, but necessary. Opposition is a physiological component of the democratic system and criticism, when constructive, contributes to the growth of the community. However, institutional language should always be characterized by moderation, responsibility and respect for the will expressed by citizens. It also seems inappropriate for such statements to come from a representative of the national government. regardless of political affiliations. I am sure that the Hon. Siracusano will want to clarify or reconsider what has been stated, recognizing how certain expressions may have appeared excessive compared to the institutional context to which they referred. In political confrontation, the firmness of ideas never requires exasperation of tone. Local institutions are not the terrain of suggestive or hyperbolic narratives: they are safeguards of democracy chosen by the people essential foundation of democracy”.