It should have been a painless technical step and instead it turned out to be a “case” with indecipherable developments. Because if on a resolution of the Council that reaches the commission for examination in view of the vote in the Chamber, the opposition tries to intervene to modify, amend, review, analyze the act in the smallest details, at times, even to prevaricate , we are in the canons of the political arena. But if the one holding back the resolution, which is also appreciated by the opposition, is a “government” councilor and not just anyone, but the Prime Minister, the sirens of politics are sounding at Palazzo Zanca.
It happened Wednesday morning during the debate on the councilor’s proposal Roberto Cicala for the modification of the new regulation on the assignment of tasks to lawyers external to the Municipality. The session was flowing smoothly with the presentation of the member of the Council and the requests of the commissioners, in particular Dario Carbone who proposed some changes.
During a break, Nello Pergolizzi, he books the surgery and at the restart comes the blow that surprised most. Two topics. The first in the contents of the proposed regulation. According to Pergolizzi, the new fees foreseen for the Municipality’s external lawyers would be too high. He gives some examples linked to the cases before the Justice of the Peace and the TAR and then, without having announced it to Cicala, he says that the proposal for a percentage reduction compared to the tables included in the Messina Bar Association should be included in the document, to be presented to the Messina Bar Association. regulation.
The councilor, certainly amazed by the friendly fire, reiterated what was said in the exposition of the regulation, i.e. that “the new parameters are those of fair compensation provided for by a precise national law which must be adapted without exceptions”. Pergolizzi refers to an intervention to the contrary by the president of Anci De Caro. Among the opposition benches there are those who roll their eyes. «But is Pergolizzi going against the administration?» someone asks. And then the Prime Minister goes further with a preliminary ruling. «In my opinion, the lawyers present in the Council (there were two in that commission, but there are five in the Council, ed.), cannot participate in the vote on this regulation due to an interest in the topic». The assist is perfect for Antonella Russo (Pd) who sinks the shot. «I must say that the regulation was not badly written, I would have made some small changes but a good job was done. I didn’t expect Pergolizzi’s intervention and I remind him that lawyers in the council cannot have assignments. Have we ever had the same doubts about other professions or jobs when there is a text that concerns them under examination?” Russo requests and obtains a vote to suspend the session and bring in the general secretary who will have to resolve the preliminary ruling. While waiting for the opinion, the act is blocked for at least a week and the embarrassment among Basile’s majority is evident.
