Francesco Salerno and Salvatore Certomàcouncilors of the Riace council group protagonist, and the former mayor of the Municipality, Antonio Trifolielected councilor with the Riace list towards the future, in a joint note, “express strong concern and regret for the decision of the majority group not to promptly convene the city council, despite the official communication received by the Prefecture of Reggio Calabria (on 13 March last, editor’s note) which sanctions the decline of the mayor”.
The mayor of Riace is the MEP Domenico Lucanoelected in Strasbourg in 2024, known for the reception model towards migrants who applied in the territory he administered. The Cassation rejected the appeal proposed by Lucano himself after the sentence of conviction for the false court of the Court of Appeal of Reggio Calabria, pronounced on 11 October 2023, and filed on March 27, 2024.
For the minority councilors, “the non -convocation, in addition to representing a clear violation of the principles of transparency and respect for the institutions, highlights the correct functioning of the municipal administration and the interest of the community”. Salerno, Certomà and Tricoli, also argue that “the communication of forfeiture received by the Mayor must be immediately taken charge by the City Council, which is the competent body to ratify this decision and undertake the consequent actions”.
The initiative of the Ministry of the Interior, through the Prefecture of Reggio Calabria, has already been notified to the President of the City Council Riacese, who is responsible for the formal call of the civic assembly to take note of Lucano’s decline from the office, and for knowledge, to the municipal secretary. In the event of default, the Prefecture of Reggio Calabria will exercise the so -called popular action, to be expressed before the civil court pursuant to art. 70 of Legislative Decree of 18 August 2000, n. 267.