It originated on Facebook and exploded in the City Council. A storm erupted in Quartu over posts by minority councilor Roberto Matta, of Tourism and Progress, against Flumini councilor Monica Sotgiu. Two pieces of content were targeted. First, a satirical cartoon about the majority in which Sotgiu was labeled "the intern." Then, the council's "VAR" video: the audio without cameras, in which the still image focuses not on the councilor's face, but on her chest.

The one who brought the case to the courtroom, in the former Capuchin Convent, was majority councilor Stefano Busonera: "Sexist attitude."

Matta responds by calling it a misunderstanding: "A technical error. I find it grotesque to turn this into a political issue and to invoke misogyny, which I reject. I clarified the matter in the Council and apologized to the councilor for the possible satirical misunderstanding. For me, the matter is closed." And on social media, he tries to shift the focus to the city's problems.

But for Councilor Sotgiu, two days after the council meeting, that public apology has never arrived: " It's very sad that in 2026 I still have to defend my dignity as a woman. My institutional role is being belittled without justification. What saddens me most is that people don't have the courage to take responsibility for their actions. I'm still waiting for a public apology. I'm moving on, hoping I won't have to deal with such vile acts again."

The women councilors are addressing the case, issuing a joint statement from both the majority and the opposition. Majority councilors Valeria Piras, Elisa Usalla, Romina Angius, Cinzia Carta, Marina Del Zompo, and Barbara Cadoni, along with councilors Romina Mura, Rossana Perra, and Marcella Marini, express "outrage, disappointment, and concern." "It is disconcerting that a citizen representative would use social media to promote sexist stereotypes that objectify women," they write, expressing solidarity with Sotgiu and calling for "an act of maturity with a formal apology, without excuses or attempts to downplay what happened. Institutions deserve respect. Women deserve respect." They also add: "Let us adopt an attitude appropriate to the role we play, inside and outside the classrooms where we perform our roles, and let us try, even through normal, albeit heated, political debate, to set a good example for young women and men, who are increasingly distant from politics and institutions. We have a specific responsibility: to give them hope for the future."

Brothers of Italy councilors Livia Maria Boi and Laura Cavagnoli, in the minority along with Matta, also distanced themselves: "We appeal to a sense of responsibility, reinforcing the institutional tone and protecting the civic and social commitment of all women. We need to foster dialogue and tone down, as the president of the City Council also stated and agreed upon at the end of the last council meeting, because citizens are beginning to misunderstand—and especially not to share—disputes that are an end in themselves. We," Cavagnoli and Boi conclude, "will continue to fulfill our role with our council activities, our proposals, and our demands, out of respect for the city and all women.

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