Maria Rozza, leader of the Democratic Party in the Municipality of Milan, throws water on the fire: «The majority carries on with its own confrontation. We are not faced with epochal issues. Neither the composition of the majority nor the program presented by the mayor is under discussion. The effort is commendable, but the clash between mayor Giuliano Pisapia and councilor Stefano Boeri cannot be reduced to a minor hiccup: it is a story that comes from afar, since just a year ago, in the coalition primaries of the left to choose the candidate for mayor, Pisapia, supported by Nichi Vendola, surprisingly tore Boeri, indicated by the Democratic Party.
The subsequent phases are known: Pisapia defeats Letizia Moratti, Boeri is the leaders and takes home 12 thousand preferences, the most voted in Milan. But the two don't like each other, even if they come from the same world as the Milanese upper class. The mayor is apparently a mild-mannered person, very left-leaning but also capable of speaking to the Centre. Boeri is a “liberal” intellectual that his enemies define as a little too intellectual, if not downright arrogant intellectual.
Boeri, it is said in Palazzo Marino, does not have the vocation of number 2. When the Giunta is formed, he obtains the very seat of the Expo, but tries to get in the way in other strategic decisions as well. A month ago the Municipality must approve the sale of shares in the Milan-Serravalle and the airports (Sea). Pisapia is negotiating a kind of non-aggression pact with the opposition, determined to give battle because it does not share certain "little liberalizing" choices. When everything seems to be in order, Boeri intervenes and obtains a tightening of the resolution. Thus the minority chooses obstructionism and the City Council is forced into a 27-hour sitting, with the mayor, aldermen and councilors spending the night in the hall. All, except one, Stefano Boeri, who picks up at a certain time and goes home. "He's a snob," some of his party mates hiss. Then the toughest fight. Boeri is an architect son of a great architect, Cini Boeri. And as an architect he decides that the Museum of Contemporary Art envisaged in Citylife, on the area of the old Fairgrounds, doesn't suit him, even if he bears the signature of Daniel Libeskind, one of the most famous architects in the world. Suddenly, last week, he proposes that he be transferred to the former Ansaldo area, regardless of agreements, contracts and so on.
Friday 25 Pisapia, in a press release, is very harsh: «The declarations of the councilor Stefano Boeri, regarding the future of the Museum of contemporary art, represent personal evaluations never discussed in the Giunta. Moreover, I believe that these statements cannot be shared on the merits". A conviction without appeal. However, in the meantime, Boeri also accuses the mayor of being subordinate to Formigoni in managing the preparations for the event. With a further angry denial by Pisapia.
And so Milan experiences one of its most tormented weekends. The Giunta postpones the block on traffic in the centre, despite the increase in smog, and the phones of the two duelists keep ringing. Bersani calls Pisapia and tries to make peace. Boeri closed in a stubborn silence that ended yesterday with the remission of all powers in the hands of the mayor. Which responds with a press release that says: «In the talks held with the members of the Giunta it was reiterated that the most precious asset is the collegiality of the work of the Milan government team, a collegiality that has been broken several times by a single councilor ».
In the fiery City Council meeting in the afternoon, the two did not show up, while the opposition, the IDV and the very young leader of the "grillini", Mattia Calise, fired at the Giunta. The majority responded with the words of Rozza and Bersani, on a visit to Monza, added: "I think the Democratic Party is working to create a climate that will be able to fix things." The nightmare is around the corner: Pisapia is close to Vendola and a humiliation by Boeri would be a mortal blow to the leader of the Democratic Party. However, a crisis in the Municipality of Milan, the symbol of revenge on Berlusconi, could also be a fatal turning point for the path of a national coalition that the polls still show as the winner in any elections. And who wants to know how the people of the left reacted, between calls for reconciliation and mutual accusations between the supporters of the two protagonists, can go to the Facebook page "Stefano Boeri for Milan".
