"The approved law solves nothing and certainly doesn't eliminate the appointment of commissioners to intermediate bodies, as provided for by the Delrio law. This law is still in effect and the Sardinia Region should also comply with it, rather than stalling for time by perpetuating commissioner-led administration." This is the view of Ignazio Locci, president of the Sardinia Regional Council (CAL), regarding the national bill approved yesterday by the Regional Council calling for the direct election of provincial presidents and metropolitan mayors.
For the new president of the body that brings together local governments, "competence in this matter clearly lies with the national Parliament, which is also working on other proposals within the framework of the direct election of presidents and councils," he wrote in a statement. "The key issue is how to meet the necessary expenditure of the Provinces, which at the national level is around 1.2 billion euros, according to recent estimates."
Currently, throughout Italy, provinces are governed by administrations elected through second-level procedures, in compliance with the 2014 Delrio law. "We, however, are the only region still using commissioners: an anomaly that is no longer sustainable or explainable to either citizens or municipalities, especially given the Regional Council's approval of a law that doesn't change the current management one iota and doesn't make any progress," he attacks.
For Locci, the only option is immediate elections, even if they are second-tier: "I therefore appeal to President Alessandra Todde to call elections by July in order to comply with the current law on commissioners," concludes the CAL president.
