It is a case in Campania the audio message with which the mayor of Sant'Antonio Abate (Naples), Ilaria Abagnale, communicates to administrators and municipal councilors of her majority her "endorsement" of two candidates in as many lists in support of Vincenzo De Luca in the next regional elections.
In the audio, released by Polisnews, Abagnale mentions two names: Francesco Iovino, deputy mayor of the Metropolitan City of Naples and a candidate on the Italia Viva list, and Lucia Fortini, councilor for education for the Campania region and a candidate on the "De Luca Presidente" list. Regarding Iovino, Abagnale explains that "thanks to his teachings, we were able to access funds for the local area." Regarding councilor Fortini, Abagnale recalls that the Campania region "supported us to avoid losing funding for seismic and structural upgrades" of a school complex. "For me, politics is about people, not parties and flags," Abagnale says. "Today I'm the mayor, and I have to take responsibility, a bit like when you buy a car on installment plans: everyone in the family benefits, but it's the head of the household who pays the installment. Today, I pay that installment because it's my commitment, I put my face on the line because I'm the mayor." Vincenzo De Luca's two main challengers in the upcoming regional elections, Stefano Caldoro (center-right) and Valeria Ciarambino (M5S), weighed in on the issue. According to Caldoro, "the audio recording of the mayor of Sant'Antonio Abate confirms that the 'De Luca system' cajoles, buys, and trades votes for public resources. The questions are: what commitments were made before the funding? What are the installments to be paid?"
In a tweet, Ciarambino writes: “Every electoral bribe has its price. The mayor of Sant'Antonio Abate reveals to us what De Luca's is. And Caldoro, whose colleagues are accused of vote-trading, tries to give a lesson in style.” Meanwhile, Edmondo Cirielli, a deputy for Fratelli d'Italia and the party's commissioner in Campania, announces a parliamentary question to the Minister of the Interior Luciana Lamorgese “to verify whether the confession made via an audio by the mayor of Sant'Antonio Abate is yet another example of political clientelism branded De Luca's administration. It is disconcerting – adds Cirielli – to hear a mayor tell his city councilors that they must work to support the current regional councilor for schools and the deputy mayor of the Metropolitan City of Naples in the next regional elections because he has an installment to pay, as his city administration has obtained public funding thanks to them. I would not like this latest scandal on regional funds to show that they were used to buy votes or obtain candidacies. This would mean that the regularity of regional elections is seriously compromised”, concludes Cirielli.
EDITORIAL TEAM
Choose the social channel you want to subscribe to