The hall of the Comunità Montana, in Bono , was packed, where mayors and regional political representatives and Sardinian deputies met to express full solidarity and closeness to the mayor Michele Solinas , the victim of a regrettable act of intimidation.
«With him, with us, the Bishop of Ozieri, parliamentarians and the whole community of mayors and administrators of Sardinia, increasingly exposed to violence and intimidation - declared the president of the regional council, Michele Pais -. A presence that however requires action: greater presence of the State, first of all by giving more personnel resources and principals to the police force, but also school, training and work. The presence of school children is significant: it is from them that the cultural revolution starts, capable of eradicating, at the root and forever, this wound and spiral of violence that Sardinia has known".
" Today we expressed full solidarity with the mayor of Bono, the victim of a cowardly attack - underlined the regional councilor of the Democratic Party, Gianfranco Ganau -. Mayors must be protected as individuals, in their affections and properties. Sardinia is the fourth region for the number of attacks on public administrators. We need a greater presence of the forces of order in the territories, a diffusion of video surveillance systems but above all a diffusion of the culture of legality, starting from the schools ».
«Culture of legality which is an easier goal to achieve, if other conditions are met: adequate roads and transport, computerization and broadband to be connected with the world, school and health services nearby . By creating the conditions for living, studying and working even in small communities - concluded Ganau -. These are the objectives for which we must all work together, alongside the mayor of Bono and all the mayors of Sardinia».
Unfortunately, the mayor's act is only the last of the acts of intimidation against local administrators . A few days ago, even the mayor of Bonorva was the victim of an attack in the middle of the town. From many quarters there is a call for more decisive intervention by the institutions against this serious scourge.
"In addition to expressing solidarity with the mayor, we felt the need to underline how once again a local administrator has fallen into the crosshairs of uncivilized people who express their dissent in an anti-democratic and criminal way - said Lega deputy Dario Giagoni -. The mayor of a municipality has always been the reference point of the community, the one who acts as a union between citizens and institutions at various levels, the one who takes upon himself the weight of the many needs and grievances of his people. Hurting him means hurting all of them, it means hurting all of us! For this reason, I intend to shortly present an act to the Chamber of Deputies which will make various institutional levels take a stand against a real scourge that afflicts those who dedicate their hearts and souls to their community and discourages even those who would like to approach it for the first time back to this world."
“There can be no justification for such a gesture. The Regional Council has once again expressed its full solidarity with the Mayor of Bono for the serious act of intimidation suffered, with the Municipal Council and with the entire community, together with its firm condemnation of any form of violence which tends to threaten the freedom of action of those who every day, with a spirit of service and sacrifice, he puts himself at the service of the community - added the vice president of the Giunta Solinas, Giuseppe Fasolino -, underlining the need to start every action, initiative, awareness-raising event that can help strengthen and feed that civic sense and that culture of respect and peace, especially towards those called to govern public affairs, which are the basis of good politics, coexistence and mutual respect".
"Unfortunately, acts of intimidation against local administrators are not isolated cases - added the councilor for local authorities, Aldo Salaris - In the face of this threat, which undermines the principles of freedom and democracy, we have a duty to show ourselves united". Mayors, he continued, «are called today to play a very important role which goes beyond mere administrative functions and which deserves not only attention but also support in every administrative phase and in every action, without distinction of any kind. Defending their work every day, protecting their freedom of action, is a duty that no one can shirk».
«Episodes like this are unacceptable and shake everyone's consciences – added the Councilor for Public Works, Pierluigi Saiu -. What happened to Bono must be an opportunity to initiate a profound reflection on these phenomena and on the problem of the safety of public administrators. Guided by the no to violence, we can and must do everything possible to prevent similar acts from happening again".