What is happening in Sardinia is emblematic of a national problem: the Five Star Movement, when in government, uses institutions as if they were tools serving its ideological and media power network . According to some press outlets , President Alessandra Todde has directly allocated over €68,000 in public funds to sponsor the Festa del Fatto Quotidiano in Rome, an openly partisan event that has no concrete impact either for Sardinia or for Italian citizens.

The controversy was sparked by MP Francesco Mura, coordinator of the Brothers of Italy party in Sardinia.

"This is a serious and worrying case," Mura continues, "which confirms that for the M5S, transparency is just an election campaign slogan. Behind the words, the facts tell a completely different story: editorial cronyism, misuse of public resources, and a total lack of respect for the role of institutions."

Furthermore, Mura insists, "the Sardinia regional government is thus indirectly financing publishing companies close to the Movement, while families, businesses, and local communities remain without answers. This is a party-state logic that Fratelli d'Italia strongly denounces. It is unacceptable that the regions become sounding boards for Five Star Movement propaganda."

"We will demand an account of this matter," Mura concludes, "in all parliamentary and institutional bodies: citizens' money cannot be used to prop up Five Star Movement-friendly media. A change of pace and mentality is needed: those who govern a region represent all citizens, not one political faction. Sardinia, and Italy as a whole, deserve much better."

THE REPLY – The Five Star Movement's response arrived shortly thereafter, through Senator Sabrina Licheri.

"Rather than truly addressing Sardinia's concerns and carrying out his parliamentary mandate seriously, the Honorable Francesco Mura prefers to launch yet another specious attack against the Todde administration, targeting the promotion of the Einstein Telescope project and institutional communication initiatives through national media campaigns," Licheri wrote in a statement. "He does so," he continued, "with statements bordering on delirium and bad faith, distorting the reality of a normal commercial agreement —provided for by law and administrative practice—between the Region and the Fatto Quotidiano publishing group, as has been done several times under previous administrations and with other Sardinian and Italian publishing groups."

"It's surprising," the senator adds, "that the one stirring up controversy is the Honorable Mura, rewarded by Salvini's former AREUS general manager Cinzia Bettelini with a permanent job as a 'Technical Assistant Surveyor' while he was a sitting MP. It would be more appropriate if he clarified the transparency of these procedures to the public instead of lecturing them on the proper use of institutions."

Licheri then explains the sponsorship's objective: "In essence, the role of the Region—and its departments, starting with Tourism—also consists of launching institutional communications campaigns to promote significant projects, such as the many cases of tourism, sports, or cultural promotion that have seen paid involvement from national and local newspapers, magazines, and digital media. Sponsorship of the Festa del Fatto Quotidiano was the subject of serious and thorough analysis, aiming for a strategic presence: thousands of visitors, a Regional stand with informational materials dedicated to the Einstein Telescope, a session with international experts (including Nobel laureates and university professors), and extensive digital and print media coverage by the entire publishing group."

In short: "Everything is formalized and public, through a transparent and traceable procurement. No favors, no special treatment: just the promotion of one of Europe's most important scientific projects, on which the government and the Region have been working side by side for months, as demonstrated," Licheri concludes, "by the frequent meetings with President Todde and Minister Bernini, always conducted with complete transparency and institutional integrity."

(Unioneonline)

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