In Liguria, the first regional council without Toti, his seat in the chamber remains empty

Vice President Piana: "We move forward in the interest of the entire region"

ROME – At 10.04 the first bell rings calling the councilors into the chamber. Never so punctual. The session is convened as usual at 10 am, but this time there is no abundant academic half hour. Not even ten minutes after the official time, President Gianmarco Medusei starts the first session of the Regional Council without the governor Giovanni Toti, eight days after the arrest. The acting president of the council, Alessandro Piana, remains in his chair as vice president. Toti’s, in the center of the council desks, remains desolately empty, complete with a tag indicating his name. The council, for the rest, is in full force, a more unique than rare situation, especially for a session which, according to the call, should be an ordinary inspection session.
The majority is also complete. There are also the two councilors under investigation: Stefano Anzalone (Mixed Group), immediately, and Mimmo Cianci (Toti List), who arrives half an hour late. A couple of delays, however, among the Democratic Party benches, for councilors arriving from further away. Medusei opens the session by informing that the decree acknowledging the suspension and temporary impediment of the president of the council has arrived, informing that it is up to vice president Alessandro Piana to take over the interim role. Then, he gives him the floor and informs that he will subsequently exceptionally give it to all the councilors and councilors who request it. And it couldn’t be otherwise, given the extraordinary nature of the moment.

VICE PRESIDENT PIANA: WE MOVE FORWARD OUT OF INTEREST OF THE WHOLE REGION

“I have assumed the functions of president of the regional council on an interim basis, with a sense of great responsibility for the functions attributed to me by the regional statute, in the awareness of being called to carry out an important and crucial task, in the interest of the entire regional community “. Thus the acting president of the Liguria Region, Alessandro Piana, speaking in the chamber in the first council meeting after the arrest of the governor Giovanni Toti. “I would like to express, first of all, a thought of closeness to President Toti, convinced that he has always acted for the good of the region and hoping that clarity will be clarified as soon as possible”, underlines the representative of the League. Then, he assures that “the Region’s activity will continue, without interruption, along a path that has marked a real change of pace in our economy”. Piana says he is “well aware of the difficulty of this moment: it is necessary to support this change of pace by continuing with investments, with the achievement of the objectives of the Pnrr which represents an unmissable and historic opportunity for Liguria, continuing with the administrative activities of the Region” . Finally, he maintains that “politics, whether government or opposition, within the framework of a democratic debate, must continue to be fully committed, respecting the principles of planning, participation and autonomy of local authorities”.

SIGNS IN THE CLASSROOM OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL: “TOTI RESIGN”

A series of signs with the writing “Toti resign”, while the councilor under investigation Mimmo Cianci (Toti List) was speaking in the courtroom. It is the silent protest carried out by a part of the public who was attending the first session of the Liguria regional council, after the arrest of the governor Giovanni Toti. About forty people were in the stands, but not all of them shared the protest. Among those who displayed the signs, the same ones already seen in Piazza De Ferrari last Thursday during the demonstration organized by Genova che osa and Arci, also the candidate for the European elections for the Alleanza Verdi Sinistra list, Simona Cosso. The protest lasted a few moments, just enough time for the classroom staff to intervene at the request of President Gianmarco Medusei.