The League attacks Busia (Anac) for criticism of the Procurement Code: “He resigns”

The words of the president of the National Anti-Corruption Authority Gabriel Busia I am “serious, unspeakable and uninformed: if he talks like this about thousands of mayors and thinks they are all corrupt, he can no longer stay in that role. Busia has control tasks, instead he certifies that he is biased, not neutral and therefore not credible”. To say it is the head of local authorities of the League Stephen Locatelli, in response to the various interviews released today to the newspapers by the number one of Anac: those in which he strongly criticizes the new Procurement Code approved on Tuesday by the Council of Ministers because it would expose public administrations to the risk of favoritism “to friends of friends” . In reality, during the morning a reply from Busia himself arrived, who defined the mayors as “heroes”. Which is why the Ministry of Transport has released a note in which it favorably judges “the evident course correction by the Anac President”. Also adding that Minister Salvini is “always available for discussion”.

Already from the early hours of today it was understood that those statements clashed particularly with the approach of a government that placed many of its expectations on the new Procurement Code. In particular, the Minister of Infrastructure and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who wanted to follow the dossier closely, step by step. Indeed, Locatelli’s intervention was not an isolated case. Because immediately afterwards the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Edoardo Rixi also expressed his opinion on the point, very close to Salvini (in addition to being his number two in the Porta Pia ministry). “The new Procurement Code is based on the principle of trust and the principle of results. We regret that the attack by President Busìa and the detractors of the new law responds to a logic of de-responsibility which risks delegitimizing the precious work that public administrations carry out every day in the management of public contracts“, Rixi said. Statements that have found support in the third pole. “The protests of the Anac president in the face of the simplifications of the Procurement Code: he even insinuates that he favors the exchange vote in the Municipalities. Exactly the opposite is true. Less bureaucracy, less dealings. Rather, the role of Anac needs to be reviewed”, Enrico Costa wrote on Twitter.

On the other hand, the interpretation of the Democratic Party, which read the words of the representatives of the League in the agency, defended the Anac. “The League launches a disorderly and unacceptable attack on the president of the Anac to hide what his government cancels: competition, transparency and quality of contracts”, said the new group leader in the Chamber Clare Braga. “This Code has nothing to do with the right objectives of speed and simplification. It is the usual recipe of the right, intolerant of legality and without any scruple to sacrifice dignity and job security with wild subcontracting”.

In the late morning, as anticipated earlier, the reply from Busìa himself then arrived. “‘Corrupt administrators? No, absolutely not. Mayors, especially in small municipalities, are heroes today. They perform an essential, very important function, are paid very little and take on great responsibilities”, said guest on TV. “Anac has only admiration for mayors, as well as for public officials – he added – They are people in the vast majority who serve the institution and work to do good. The trust that Anac gives to mayors is full”. Hence the note from MIT announcing a relaxation of relations.