we will vote in the autumn – Corriere.it

PALERMO – At times the refrain on Sicily as a political laboratory seems repetitive and cloying, but also on the death and (alleged) rebirth of the Provinces, the primacy belongs to the region which abolished them in 2014 with the centre-left of Rosario Crocetta and which is reviving them with the centre-right of Renato Schifani. In addition, a bill has already been approved which provides for direct elections in the autumn. To the delight of a political world in fibrillation, being able to count on another 316 seats, including presidents, councilors and advisers to be distributed in the nine provinces of the island.

While the rest of the country is discussing whether and how to proceed, the turning point by someone renamed as a return to the future seems to have been done, albeit contested by a few isolated voices, without obvious opposition, so far. The bill passed by the Schifani government however, it will have to go through the regional assembly, sifting through the 70 members in Sicily who are jealous of the title of deputies, according to the special statute of 1946 which however, look at it, provided for the suppression of the provinces.

Crocetta referred to the Statute, flaunting savings of 130 million and the cancellation of 400 seats. By introducing the figures of three “Metropolitan Cities (Palermo, Catania, Messina) and leaving the so-called Free Consortiums standing, that is, the same offices of the Provinces with their employees, albeit administered by government commissioners. As is still happening now, in view of the revolution which foresees, in the Schifani plan, an allocation of 10 million euros. Little compared to what will also be needed for attendance fees and allowances, calculated for an audience of 144 councilors to be elected and 36 councilors to be nominated, in addition to the nine presidents to be voted on with direct suffrage, because direct elections are triggered for them, as for some time it is done with the mayors. Whoever gets more than 40 percent of the votes wins. Otherwise we go to the ballot.

In addition to the three metropolitan presidents (they will no longer be called metropolitan mayors) the provincial councils should therefore be reconstituted with the autumn elections. Composed of 36 councilors and a maximum of 9 aldermen in the provinces with one million inhabitants. Up to 500,000 inhabitants, there will be 30 councilors with 7 aldermen. Below 500,000, the Province will have 24 councilors and a maximum of 6 aldermen.

According to the councilor for the economy Marco Falcone, the restoration of intermediate bodies does not require additional resources from the Region. In the latest stability law, Schifani actually confirmed the coverage of 300 million in the three-year period 2023/25 for intermediate entities. An expense owed to the offices. But it also allocated 165 million over the same three-year period through the development and cohesion fund. And this had never happened. The sources from which the former provinces draw are the revenues collected from car insurance, provincial transcription tax and excise duties on electricity. On the first two, the State operates a forced levy. Hence the negotiation opened by the Sicilian governor to eliminate or at least reduce this levy. As he asked during a recent meeting with Minister Roberto Calderoli, who in turn was satisfied with the choice made within the State-Regions Committee where Sicily has endorsed the differentiated autonomy that is so dear to Salvini’s party. But on this the arrows of many opponents are heard and the political polemic is triggered which remains weak on the front of the new Provinces.