Catania, Riccardo Pellegrino praises Cateno De Luca. Is the farewell to Forza Italia approaching?

A message of solidarity to Cateno De Luca "for the serious intimidation suffered in recent hours in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto" which hides - not so subtly - a likely party switch. It was sent by the deputy chairman of the City Council Riccardo Pellegrino, a member of Forza Italia, who praises the current mayor of Taormina, both as a politician and as an entrepreneur. Pellegrino, who also manages a café belonging to the Fenapi group of the leader of Sud Chiama Nord, could therefore soon leave his group to join the mixed group: an official announcement is awaited.

In recent months, the relationship between the councilor and Forza Italia had seriously deteriorated. In November, Pellegrino had been warned by his party with the notice "not to use the name, symbol, or references to the party in statements, interventions, or public communications". The warning was signed by the provincial secretariat and that of Catania, represented by the MEP Marco Falcone and the current deputy mayor Massimo Pesce. This decision came after a complaint from the councilor to Mayor Enrico Trantino (a member of Fratelli d’Italia): Pellegrino had claimed to have been "verbally and physically assaulted by the mayor". A reconstruction of the events strongly denied by Trantino, who had received almost total trust from the majority, which had raised the request to remove the councilor from the role of vice president. And Forza Italia had split: publicly expressing solidarity with Pellegrino were councilors Melania Miraglia, Agata Scalia, and Gerry Barbagallo.

Today Pellegrino intervenes "also as the legal representative of Fenapi Catania Centro" and defines what happened to De Luca as "a very serious episode that has the flavor of political intimidation", also recalling his personal story. In recent days, he had also issued a statement to talk about the "silence" of politics regarding the death of the Cosa Nostra boss Nitto Santapaola. A strong message also because Pellegrino emphasized that he has distanced himself from his brother convicted of mafia. Now he resumes the theme: "Today's mafia is no longer the one from the '80s that shot in the streets. Today it is much more dangerous because it tries to infiltrate institutional buildings and influence the political system. It is a mafia that tries to command without exposing itself, using pressures, intimidations, and systems of power that suffocate freedom".

The praise for De Luca continues: "Recognized by all as a great administrator and a capable entrepreneur. With Fenapi he has created jobs and given dignity to thousands of people across Italy, offering opportunities to many young people. This is the mentality that politics should have and that Cateno tries to bring to his way of governing: to create development and jobs, not just to defend seats".

Pellegrino, convicted - sentence suspended - in the first instance for electoral corruption in the 2017 regional campaign, the sentence is not yet definitive and is pending appeal, closes by talking about the "system of consensus built over the years by certain politics: unfortunately, there is still a sick system in which someone tries to control the vote through promises, favors, or jobs. It is a dynamic that I have personally seen during electoral campaigns, when many citizens told me that they could not vote freely because they were tied to someone who had promised or guaranteed something".