Referendum: in Sicily, the No wins overwhelmingly with 61%, among the Regions with the widest margin. Pd: "Eviction notice for Schifani"

In Sicily there is a net result in the constitutional referendum on justice: with 90 percent of polling stations counted, No won with over 61 percent, while Yes is at 38.9 percent, with over 300,000 votes difference. These overwhelming percentages make the Island the second Italian Region for margin of difference: only in Campania did No reach a higher figure at 65%. It also surpassed Regions like Tuscany and Emilia Romagna. At the national level, No wins but with a smaller margin, obtaining about 54 percent. 

In all nine Sicilian provinces, No is clearly ahead: the highest percentages are recorded in the province of Palermo (65%), Enna, Siracusa, and Ragusa (at 62%), followed by Agrigento and Catania (where No is at 60%), Trapani (59%), then Messina (56%) and Caltanissetta (55%).

THE DATA IN THE NINE CAPITAL MUNICIPALITIES

Looking at the final data from the nine capital municipalities: a boom for No in Palermo with 68.93%, Yes is at 31.07%; in Catania No at 63.47%, Yes at 36.53%; in Agrigento No at 56.84%, Yes at 43.16%; in Trapani No at 59.39%, Yes at 40.61%; in Messina No at 58.85%, Yes at 41.15%; in Caltanissetta No at 57.84%, Yes at 42.16%; in Ragusa No at 63.35%, Yes at 36.65%; in Enna No at 65.63%, Yes at 34.37%; in Siracusa No at 65.23%, Yes at 34.77%.

The first municipality to finish counting all seven of its polling stations in Sicily was Calatabiano, in the province of Catania: 50.73 for "No", against 49.27 for "Yes", with a difference of 28 votes. The turnout was at 46 percent.

THE DATA ON TURNOUT

The almost definitive turnout in Sicily is 46 percent, the lowest in Italy. Looking at the individual provinces, the highest is in Messina at 49 percent, the lowest in Caltanissetta at 42.6%. In between are Agrigento at 43.3%, Siracusa at 45.20%, Trapani at 45.3%, Catania at 46.12%, Palermo at 46.38%, Enna at 47.44%, and Ragusa at 47.63%. Of the 5,306 polling stations across the island, only three are missing from the final turnout data: they are in the municipality of Catania. 

The municipality with the lowest turnout was Lampedusa and Linosa with 26.93%. The one with the highest turnout was Godrano (Palermo) with 60.05%. Looking at the provincial capitals, only Enna and Ragusa have percentages above 50%, at 55.79 and 53.23 respectively. In Caltanissetta, 49.49% voted, in Palermo 48.2%, in Messina 47.88%, in Agrigento 46.78%, in Siracusa 46.41%, and in Trapani 43.86%. The provincial capital with the lowest turnout was Catania with 42.46%.

REACTIONS 

"Italians have expressed themselves clearly and have rejected a constitutional amendment that, as the judiciary and part of civil society had pointed out, would not have solved any of the many problems afflicting justice and affecting citizens," says Palermo prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia. "This does not mean that we have a satisfactory and efficient justice system - he adds - Therefore, from now on, it is necessary to work with sobriety and concreteness on real issues, starting with strengthening means and resources." 

The first to comment on the island are representatives of the progressive front parties. "This is a historic result for Sicily - says Ismaele La Vardera, regional deputy of Controcorrente - With half of the polling stations counted, the no is almost at 70%, in Palermo, a clear eviction notice also to the Lagalla administration, while in Sicily we have surpassed 60%, a figure that is destined to grow. This can only be a purely political rather than technical figure. The clear demonstration - he adds - of how the Sicilian people without organized voting can overturn all those political-clientelistic dynamics that usually exist during municipal and regional elections. If I were in the Schifani majority, I would ask myself two questions and would not hesitate to admit defeat while considering resignation."

Right in Palermo, the civil society committee for the "no" has called an appointment in Piazza Politeama at 6 PM to celebrate the victory of the no, with the slogan "And then we went out to see the stars: the No has won." 

For the Democratic Party, with the group leader at the Ars Michele Catanzaro,  "Sicily has shouted no to the arrogance of the Meloni government. From Sicily and the South comes a strong signal - he adds - that we must know how to coalesce in view of the upcoming electoral challenges, both regional and national." The regional secretary of the Democrats Anthony Barbagallo emphasizes the result as "overwhelming, far beyond any prediction. In some Sicilian realities - he analyzes - the votes for no are double those for yes, and overall the percentage data from Sicily is in line with the national one." For Barbagallo, this is "a notice of eviction to Renato Schifani, his government, and the center-right. They have been overwhelmed by scandals of all kinds, particularly judicial ones and hoped for impunity, distorting the Constitution to strike at the judiciary. It has gone badly for them, indeed very badly." 

"They tried to dismantle the Constitution for petty interests, throwing dust in the eyes of citizens, poisoning the wells of correct information, and it has gone badly for them, very badly," is the attack from Nuccio di Paola, regional coordinator of the 5 Star Movement in Sicily. "From all over Italy and particularly from Sicily comes a resounding slap to the arrogance of the right, who put their faces on the line, irreparably losing it. The clear Sicilian numbers reject not only a terrible reform but also the Schifani government, incapable, unproductive, useless, and harmful. From here begins the countdown for the eviction of Schifani and the parties that support him."

"It is a beautiful popular victory, we have worked hard and it is no coincidence that such a significant result was achieved in Palermo," said the president of the civil society committee for the No in the referendum, Claudio Riolo, commenting on the victory of No and the percentages reached in Sicily and Palermo compared to the national picture. For Riolo, "we have built not a broad field but a constitutional field, and from here we must start again to free ourselves in the upcoming elections from this right-wing government, the worst possible right."