The mayor of Reggio Calabria, Giuseppe Falcomatà, said his goodbyes during the last session of the civic assembly, convened under the first point on the agenda to contest the incompatibility of the mayor after his proclamation as regional councilor. In recent days, Falcomatà had appointed three new councilors and changed the top management of two investee companies, which effectively sanctioned the break with the centre-left majority that supported him.
After greeting the public, councillors, officials and managers and welcoming the new councillors, the mayor specified: «You will understand that this is a special moment. It’s meant to be a greeting to the classroom, but not a greeting to the city: I’ll do that outside of here. It is an institutional greeting that I care a lot about, in view of a new and different path that will begin in a few weeks. A path – he said – fruit of the will, of the idea and of the courage to get back into the game for a cause, for a well-defined part of the field: to get back into the game for the city, for the province, for the region, without thinking of having positional benefits that could allow one to play a role just because another one has been played in the past. I have had the honor, pro tempore, of covering a political role that the citizens have entrusted to us, and this entails the responsibility of always questioning ourselves, trying to continue to represent a community on the basis of the will of the citizens. The city has decided to trust me, and this is a source of great pride and responsibility for me: being the only person from Reggio to represent the city in the Regional Council.” The mayor, in reference to the discussion that took place in the chamber, then commented: «Sometimes, over time, you risk transforming yourself and losing sight of your role, your task, the reason why you are here. Finding yourself on the same side of what you once fought is a risk that you must avoid, always remembering the reasons why you got involved in politics.”
Falcomatà added: «I have relived the moments that have characterized these years, even those as a city councilor. When taking stock, the faces, the scenes come to mind, as in a film, the voices of the debates open to the participation of associations, production categories and professional associations: a room full of political debate. It is natural, therefore, to express thanks to the managers, employees, officials and staff. One above all: Pierluigi D’Apice. For us he was the example of a person who does not experience public employment in a detached manner or as a point of arrival, but as an opportunity to improve the conditions of the organization and the city. In recent years he has reminded us how important it is to continue to improve and update ourselves. My thoughts also go to all the employees who have left us in recent years. I then thank the councilors, even those in the minority: we have experienced ups and downs, but please consider that I have always recognized you as adversaries, not as enemies. It is a fundamental demarcation point. We can oppose each other without losing respect for the person, because in any case we were traveling companions. Despite political differences and future objectives, there is something that unites us: love for the city. I believe that in this chamber we have not only played an institutional role, but we have committed an important part of our lives to the city. And that’s no small thing. Life is so strong that it crosses walls to make itself known, and we have tried to bring life outside the walls of the council chamber, to make the Council’s activity known to the outside world, with our nuances. I don’t know how fully aware we were of this. We can and must be proud of the time we have dedicated to serving our city.”
Returning then to the political debate: «This Chamber has been the scene of clashes and discussions, moments in which I have always looked for a meeting point, a mediation. Politics is the art of mediation: finding a synthesis between two initially distant positions. This is the authentic meaning of mediation; otherwise it is called something else. There are ways, times and places to exercise it, but if we lose the meaning of mediation, then there is no longer politics or discussion. Reason is not always on the side of the stronger. And in recent years, even when mediation has not been found, democracy and discussion have never been lacking.” Finally: «I am not a poet, but I believe in the strength of an ideal, in the strength of a thought that can guide actions through conviction. I don’t know how to speak to the sky, but you know how many times I turned to the sky for advice when the road seemed darkest. In recent years I have had the honor of being at the helm of the city twice. As a helmsman I have always thought of the good of sailors, of making them land in a safe port, without ever stopping rowing, even when the winds whistled loudly in a stubborn and contrary direction. With painstaking patience we removed the water, repaired the leaks and ferried the ship to safe ports. And we did it together. I thank you all – concluded the mayor – it was a beautiful journey and for me it was a great honor”.
But the Democratic Party distrusted him: “Clear disagreement with the latest choices made by the mayor”
At the same time, Falcomatà himself found himself distrusted by his party, the Democratic Party. The session, in fact, opened with the reading of a document of no confidence from the PD group and from a councilor from the Democrats and Progressives after his decision to replace three councilors and review the top management of the two companies owned by the Municipality, Hermes RC Servizi Metropolitani, and Castore Local Public Services. In Reggio, municipal elections are scheduled for next spring. The document expresses the party’s clear disagreement with the mayor’s choices. «With disappointment and regret – it was said – we must intervene to express our dissent with the method used by the mayor in suddenly revoking and assigning institutional and managerial roles within the administration that we have the responsibility to govern. Together we won the elections and together we would like to complete this council. In fact, we believe that our government responsibility is a shared responsibility. Unfortunately, the mayor’s choices go in a different direction, breaking the majority pact that until now has allowed us to govern Reggio Calabria, bringing it out of the dramatic condition in which we inherited it.” After having voted to acknowledge the mayor’s incompatibility, the signatories of the document left the Chamber while the opposition asked the majority to take a step back to “definitively close a political season which has now reached the final credits”.