After the self-suspension, and waiting to meet the magistrates on Monday to clarify his position regarding the trial on the Expo "plate" (in which the mayor of Milan is among the suspects), it is time for Beppe Sala to collect the solidarity of the other Italian mayors: at least 135, on Sunday morning, signed the appeal to ask the mayor of Milan to return to office, pending resolution of the judicial issue involving him.
Among the signatories are, among others, the mayor of Catania Enzo Bianco, that of Genoa Marco Doria, the mayor of Bari and president of Anci Antonio Decaro, but also Dario Nardella of Florence and Massimo Cialente of L'Aquila. “The decision of our colleague Beppe Sala to suspend himself from the office of Mayor of Milan - reads the joint note from the mayors - is certainly a gesture of great sensitivity, full of dignity and pride. We understand and respect it. But we ask him to resume his function".
“Milan, like any city, needs its mayor – say the mayors -. Sala has learned (from the press!) that the request for acquittal made by the Milan prosecutor's office has not been accepted and that the investigations are continuing. We always respect the decisions of the Judiciary, even when they do not appear convincing. However, if the message gets across that, faced with the simple initiation of an investigation, with entry in the register of suspects, an administrator is seriously weakened in the exercise of his/her duties, serious consequences will arise”.
“We mayors, of any political color – continues the message – ask the media to report the news accurately and correctly; magistrates to carry out their fundamental function carefully and scrupulously, being aware that often the penalty is in fact constituted by the simple leak of the news of an investigation; to Parliament to pay attention to the need to better regulate the initiation of criminal proceedings and to classify the news of a crime, clearly distinguishing the hypothesis of simple administrative irregularity from that of a crime; to the political forces to avoid dragging the mayors and city administrators into the hard battle, as easy targets, especially when they have a different colour. In too many cities and municipalities, not only in the South, mayors suffer intimidation, threats and acts of violence. Months ago we wrote a similar letter; we recently had this appeal resounded in the Montecitorio hall, full of tricolor bands for a nice initiative for discussion wanted by the president Laura Boldrini. For these reasons - they conclude - with increased affection and esteem, we ask Beppe Sala to return to the responsibility that the Milanese have entrusted to him".
