The political controversy surrounding the legal opinion of the Legislative and Legal Office of the Sicilian Region regarding the presentation of the lists for the administrative elections continues unabated. After the press rumors published by the Gazzetta del Sud – according to which the “South calls North” movement should have collected signatures for 14 related lists, foreshadowing the risk of an annulment of the electoral outcome and a return to the polls for the city of Messina – the institutional clash moves to Palazzo Zanca.
The statements entrusted to social media and the press by the mayor, Federico Basile, now end up at the center of attention. Reacting to the news, the mayor had in fact released a note (later taken up by his Facebook and Instagram profiles) in which he claimed the consensus obtained and launched a political attack: «Perhaps our leader Cateno De Luca is “scaring” too many lobbies and too many old sanctuaries of regional and national politics. Let’s carry on as we have always done without being intimidated.” Statements that pushed the “Marcello Scurria” council group to present a question for immediate response.
In the document addressed to the President of the City Council and the Mayor, the signatory councilors ask for transparent clarifications on what the first city official expressed. The question highlights how the use of social channels to disseminate formal press releases takes on institutional relevance and how evoking alleged “intimidation” or conditioning, if not proven, risks generating alarm and damaging the dignity and image of the municipal body.
The councilors therefore ask Mayor Basile to clarify three specific points: which specific episodes or behaviors he is referring to, committed by whom and under what circumstances; if you do not consider it your legal duty to contact the judicial authorities to report the alleged facts; if, alternatively, he does not deem it necessary to publicly rectify his statements to protect the reputation and institution of the Municipality of Messina.