In the midst of the most serious political crisis to hit Mayor Beppe Sala since he took office at Palazzo Marino, the national and city Democratic Party is rallying around the mayor. While acknowledging – in the words of metropolitan secretary Alessandro Capelli in the Corriere Milano on March 9 – that “new answers are needed.” So much so that the majority party, in order to revitalize the administrative action in the remaining two years that now seem endless, has proposed the formation of a “committee” that should support the council, “representing the civic, social, and economic forces of the city and together with the administration, discuss how to respond to today’s challenges.” However, according to the opposition, there is no more time for these responses. Yesterday, Guido Bardelli officially resigned, the “technical” housing assessor caught up – as a non-indicted party – in the judicial battle between the prosecution and the City Council over the alleged irregularities in dozens of urban regeneration projects in Milan. But the resignations demanded by the center-right are those of the mayor, so that the voters can have their say again. Among them is Matteo Forte, regional councilor of Brothers of Italy and president of the II Institutional Affairs Commission of the Pirellone, a Milan city councilor for 12 years.
In a recent intervention of yours, you stated, regarding what is happening in Milan, that “in the homeland of Tangentopoli, a political issue is transformed into a criminal matter.” What does this mean?
It means something very simple, that is if local rules are shown to be in contradiction with national ones, the problem is political, not criminal. And it requires a legislative intervention to harmonize. It’s no different from what we do periodically in the Commission I chair: twice a year, we review and approve an “ordinance” to align existing regional laws with new national regulations.
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But why bring up Tangentopoli?
My reasoning is based on the fundamental principle of the separation of powers and goes beyond any judgments on the work of investigators. When those not elected by citizens pursue matters of general interest, they inevitably have effects on the community, for which they do not then answer to the citizens, unlike those who, after being voted in, can always be delegitimized at the polls and replaced by the same voters. In everything that is happening in urban planning in Milan, we must not forget, for example, that hundreds of families have invested a large part of their savings in preliminary purchase agreements and are now, on the one hand, unable to move into their new homes and, on the other hand, cannot look for an alternative because they have already made financial commitments.
Do you think the judiciary is wrong?
Again, I do not delve into the specifics of any investigation. Of course not. I just reiterate that the procedures that are generally contested are those that – right or wrong as they may be – the City has adopted over the years, also relying on established administrative jurisprudence. But let me tell you more. There is a circular from 2020 that offers an official interpretation of building renovation, including – I quote verbatim – “the demolition and reconstruction of existing buildings with different outlines, facades, footprints, and plan-volumetric and typological characteristics.” That’s exactly what is being contested in Milan today. The circular was signed by the then Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Paola De Micheli, and the Minister of Public Administration, Fabiana Dadone. They are reportedly members of the Democratic Party and the 5 Star Movement, respectively.
And so?
So, apparently, the Conte government, the yellow-red government, was fine with simply obtaining a notice of commencement of works from the Municipality to transform a property, perhaps disused, into a new building, even with structural changes. If this is no longer acceptable, it should be politically contested and regulated differently. But it is easier to ride on judicial investigations, otherwise the Democrats and the Five Stars should explain to everyone why they are contesting what they themselves endorsed when they were in power. And let me add another political consideration…
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Go on.
The entire center-right, and Brothers of Italy in particular with Tommaso Foti, the rapporteur in the Chamber of the so-called “Salva Milano,” simply took on the responsibility of harmonizing existing regulations with established administrative procedures, and postponing a subsequent and broader legislative update in the sector. They did not intend to “fix” anything, as has been incorrectly claimed. The recent attack by Elly Schlein, therefore, using the wiretaps leaked to the newspapers to claim that the center-right is involved in murky affairs, is pure scavenging that should be rejected.
According to the Democratic Party secretary, there is nothing to blame the Sala administration for.
Instead, we at Brothers of Italy believe that the mayor bears significant responsibility and for this reason, we demand his resignation. But once again, for political reasons, not judicial ones.
Summarize.
The numbers paint a harsh picture. The real estate market has gone wild in recent years with price increases of over 40%, without a corresponding rise in incomes. At the same time, unlike during the center-right administrations, social housing construction has ceased, which had proven very useful for young couples and those looking to start families, dropping from 37% of the total in 2015 to the current 9%. All of this did not happen by chance but due to specific choices made by the two administrations led by Beppe Sala.
What choices?
The left sacrificed social housing construction at percentages rigidly set in the Territorial Government Plan, which then did not stand up to reality. In this way, the City did not counteract the rise in property prices over the years, ending up favoring only land and real estate speculation. At the beginning of the mayor’s second term, Assolombarda calculated that after Expo, the city undoubtedly enriched itself, but a third of that wealth ended up in the hands of just 9% of Milanese residents. In Milan, housing has become the main factor of social inequality. Paradoxically, the left has contributed to increasing the disparities between the haves and the have nots. It is a resounding failure, of which Sala himself, who until yesterday boasted of transforming the city into one of the most attractive metropolises in Europe, must now acknowledge. But what city model has been pursued by the center-left administrations? A city model where working is no longer enough to live there. A city that drives out the middle class. Forget about the welcoming, inclusive city capable of giving everyone an opportunity. In this, the Milanese left is certainly a paradigm of the global left, now representing only elites and the trendy.
Granted, but these are arguments for the next election campaign. Why should the mayor leave now?
Because the city is paralyzed. Nearly half of the national real estate investments are blocked. Some time ago, over 140 urban planning employees wrote to Sala asking to be reassigned to other areas of the administration. The mayor himself had stated that either the “Salva Milano” was approved or there were no longer the conditions to continue. Dumped by his own majority, he now asks not to vote on that interpretative law in the Senate anymore. Sala is now an obstacle to solving the problems plaguing Milan. The next step he must take responsibility for is to free Palazzo Marino and let the voters have their say again. Otherwise, he will hold the city hostage for another two years. Sala’s resignation today is the “Salva Milano” needed.
