Beppe Sala, Milan's mayor, is under siege after yet another urban planning scandal. Salvini: "Dismay." The Democratic Party hasn't commented.
Milan – Giuseppe Sala is once again under siege. Following the latest investigation into the city's urban planning management , the mayor's "Milan model" is being fiercely contested across nearly the entire political spectrum: some of the opposition is demanding explanations , while others are directly calling for the city government's resignation . Only the Democratic Party is currently refusing to comment on the investigation.
Today's investigation concerns an alleged corruption scheme for which the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office has requested the arrest of six people , including Giancarlo Tancredi, the City's Councilor for Urban Regeneration, and entrepreneur Manfredi Catella , founder and CEO of the Coima Group . This morning, the Milan Financial Police Unit seized documents, following a production order, from City Hall offices, as well as conducting 24 searches of homes and premises. Among those under investigation is renowned architect Stefano Boeri , already implicated in two other proceedings in which he is charged with bid-rigging, illegal subdivision, and illegal construction.
In their arrest warrant, Milanese magistrates write of a "deviant urban planning system," "subversive degeneration within which the landscape commission operates," and the "exploitation by the political side." They also write that Councilor Tancredi allegedly worked "in concert with Mayor Sala and General Manager Christian Malangone (using the fixer Marinoni) to foster private relationships with real estate finance groups operating in Milan and serve their interests." "This," the prosecutors add, "occurs within the framework of an administrative action tainted by circular corruption, sweetened externally through the use of imaginative and sophisticated methods of legal gloss."
Brothers of Italy was among the first parties to react harshly. Sandro Sisler and Riccardo Truppo , senator and party leader in the City Council, wrote in a statement that "in light of the latest judicial developments, which for the first time see a sitting council member among the recipients of arrest warrants for serious charges such as corruption and forgery, Brothers of Italy reiterates its call for a radical change in city leadership ." For Sisler, "we are facing a compromised system" and "Mayor Sala must resign."
Giorgia Meloni 's party isn't limiting itself to legal issues but is broadening its scope: "For too long, Milan has been waiting for serious and transparent answers from those who govern at Palazzo Marino. The cup is full. Milan has waited for the Sala administration's convenience to receive timely technical and political responses that could pull it out of the quagmire created by 14 years of left-wing government."
The League, through Minister Matteo Salvini , expressed "dismay and deep concern" over the news regarding urban planning in Milan. Beyond the legal issues, Salvini said he was "also deeply concerned about the management of the council, which has been holding back the city's development for too long."
Silvia Sardone , deputy secretary of the League, pointed the finger at what she calls "the municipal government's incompetence": "Mayor Sala must explain what was happening in the City Hall. The questions are: does he go to the offices every now and then? Does he see what's happening? Or is he only a mayor on social media? " Sardone then listed the administration's failures: "It's been clear for years that the urban planning sector has been paralyzed, the municipal government's inaction is disarming, and development projects in Milan have now vanished. Just look at the chaos at the San Siro stadium, with years wasted and indecent management, or the redevelopment of Piazzale Loreto, which was suddenly blocked."
Forza Italia is a guarantor but worriedForza Italia 's position was more measured, reiterating its commitment to protecting due process, but not hiding its concerns. MP and regional secretary Alessandro Sorte stated: "Forza Italia will never use judicial investigations as a club against political opponents. We are a force committed to protecting due process , and for us, due process is a real value." However, he added: "We express deep concern about the urban planning paralysis that has plagued the city of Milan for months, a city in disarray with construction sites stalled, investors fleeing, and jobs being lost."
Even for the party of Minister Antonio Tajani , however, " A turning point is needed , the appeal is to all centre-right parties to quickly find a mayoral candidate who can lead the city out of this decline".
The Five Star Movement 's attack was particularly harsh. The Lombardy regional group leader , Nicola Di Marco, did not mince his words: "The news of yet another earthquake linked to urban planning must be the final chapter of the Sala administration . The steady stream of councilors and officials—recall the resignation of the Housing councilor last March—cannot help but lead Mayor Giuseppe Sala to draw the logical conclusions, as he is ultimately responsible for municipal activities."
Di Marco recalled how the Movement "denounced the abuses related to the 'Save Milan' affair" and how it has since been "loudly calling for a change of pace." According to the Five Star Movement, "it is clear that the practices involved in the investigation must be halted, just as it is clear that this administration can no longer have the serenity to manage important dossiers related to construction , housing, urban regeneration, and the development of Milan, such as those relating to the future of San Siro or the Milan-Cortina 2026 projects."
The Democratic Party's "no comment"The Democratic Party's only comment came from MP Roberto Morassut , who has been involved in local and suburban policies for years: " I won't comment on judicial investigations . I hope and I'm certain that the Milan municipal administration will be able to clarify matters, especially because Mayor Sala is a capable administrator and, above all, an honest person."
"It is certain that today, throughout Italy," he said, "the laws in force regarding urban planning and construction continually create regulatory short circuits between national and regional levels that can lead to illegal activities. The greatest risk lies in assessing the 'public interest' in the so-called development of areas or properties that change their original intended use, something that now happens continuously and everywhere. Public interest , although clearly defined in the law on expropriation, has become an abstract or aesthetic concept in administrative procedures and instead must respond to a real assessment of the values at stake between the private entity and the public administration entering into an agreement: it must be calculated and established on the basis of real financial and asset values."
Mayor Giuseppe Sala , who previously commented on the investigations by declaring that he was "worried," now finds himself facing a more complex situation. The matter is part of a broader context of difficulties for his administration: Milan's urban planning issue has become a national issue, with implications that extend far beyond the city limits. The investigations have exposed a system for managing building permits that, according to the judiciary, presents serious irregularities.
"The phenomenon, linked to certain aspects of uncontrolled building expansion , has reached extremely significant proportions," Milan's prosecutor Marcello Viola wrote in a statement. The arrest requested for Councilor Tancredi represents a qualitative leap in the investigation, directly implicating a member of the city council for the first time.
Political pressure on Sala, moreover, is intensifying just as Milan prepares to host the 2026 Winter Olympics , an event that will require efficient and transparent management of public works. In this regard, it doesn't help that the Porta Romana Special Zone Integrated Intervention Plan, the former railway yard that houses the Olympic village , is also under scrutiny.
Il Giorno
