Solidarity refugee model | Mimmo Lucano: Riace should lose its mayor

Domenico "Mimmo" Lucano is perhaps best known to German audiences through Wim Wenders' film "Il Volo." It tells the story of the Calabrian mountain village of Riace, which became a model for a solidarity-based migration model after taking in Kurdish refugees in the late 1990s: Italian cooperatives house asylum-seeking refugees in abandoned houses and receive a daily allowance from the government . In this way, the villages, which have been dying since the 19th century, are revitalized with new residents and the necessary infrastructure.

On Tuesday, 67-year-old Lucano was removed from office by the Court of Cassation in the Calabrian town of Locri. The reason for this was a legally binding sentence of 18 months' suspended prison sentence – the result of the so-called Xenia trial, which concerned the solidarity reception projects in Riace.

Lucano originally faced serious charges in the trial; the mayor faced a lengthy prison sentence for alleged abuse of office, embezzlement, and facilitating irregular immigration. However, most of the charges against Lucano were overturned on appeal, leaving only a conviction for falsifying a public document. The Court of Cassation has now upheld this verdict.

The Xenia trial was politically charged from the start. Investigations began in 2017, but the case really gained momentum in 2018 under Interior Minister Matteo Salvini . The leader of the far-right Lega party had publicly declared Lucano a target, had him placed under house arrest, and banished from Riace. Salvini called Lucano a "lawbreaker," even though he was receiving international recognition for his work at the time—for example, from the US magazine "Fortune," which named him one of the 50 most influential people in the world. The fact that Lucano's prosecution took place in the midst of Salvini's campaign against sea rescue organizations is still viewed by more than just the left in Italy as targeted political repression.

Lucano faces the threat of losing his mayoralty because of the "Legge Severino" – a 2012 law that provides for the removal of elected officials from office upon a final conviction, even in cases of suspended sentences. Lucano's defense, however, argues that this provision should only apply if the offense involved abuse of power or violation of official duties. Neither of these applies in the mayor's case: No court has established such a connection – on the contrary: According to the defense, the so-called ancillary penalty of a ban from office was even expressly lifted by the Court of Cassation, reports the socialist newspaper "Il Manifesto."

The Riace municipal council had also previously opposed the implementation of the dismissal. The prefecture of Reggio Calabria nevertheless filed a lawsuit. According to the ruling, the decision will become final in 20 days. However, Lucano could also file a final appeal with the Court of Cassation. Riace's current mayor announced on Monday that he would do just that. He criticized the ruling in an interview with Il Manifesto, calling it a "coordinated decision" within the government, saying: "I will appeal – and remain mayor until then. The law allows me to do so. And we have all the arguments on our side."

"I would be less upset if they had taken away my seat in the European Parliament – ​​but not Riace."

Mimmo Lucano Mayor of Riace

Lucano has also served in the European Parliament since June 2024. He successfully ran for the Alleanza Verdi Sinistra list in the election – together with anti-fascist Ilaria Salis, who had previously spent months in Hungarian detention in the so-called Budapest Complex. The fact that Lucano holds both offices at the same time caused controversy in Italy. However, he made his priorities clear to "Il Manifesto": "I would be less upset if they had taken away my seat in the EU Parliament – ​​but not Riace."

Lucano is receiving support from the left wing. Nicola Fratoianni and Angelo Bonelli of the Left Alliance spoke of a politically motivated verdict, the newspaper "Tag 24" reports . They called it a scandal that someone like Lucano was removed from office, while many convicted politicians were allowed to remain in office. Representatives of the centrist Partito Democratico expressed a more cautious view: While the decision should be formally respected, it leaves a "bitter aftertaste." Lucano stands for an internationally recognized, practical, and humane form of refugee reception—and they hope to see him officially back in office soon.

Lucano himself is looking ahead: "I'll be mayor for at least two more years, and those will be two very intense years." An anti-racist soccer tournament kicks off next week in Riace. An international week of action in support of Palestinian protest movements against the Gaza war is planned from July 20 to 27. "This unjust and excessive verdict will not silence us," Lucano told Il Manifesto.