The mayor of Terni is in the news again. After unpleasant outbursts on social media and in press conferences, Stefano Bandecchi was subjected to controversy and anger from city councilors during a session also dedicated to gender violence.
Following the intervention of FdI member councilor Cinzia Fabrizi, who highlighted the content of a controversial interview he gave to an online newspaper, in which he claimed, among other things, that “he who has never cheated on his girlfriend is not normal”, the mayor responded and went on the offensive. “It is true that Italy is full of imbeciles, and I understand that some of my statements, in which I single out all of them, are difficult to understand.”
Then the words that angered those present in the courtroom. “A normal man looks at another woman’s beautiful ass and maybe even tries. Then, if he succeeds, he fucks her too. If he fails, he goes home instead. Now be offended all you want, but that’s just my opinion. Now vote for an amendment on gender-based violence You have to decide whether to give it or not, I think it’s what I want,” Bandecchi said, opposing an amendment on gender-based violence proposed by minorities.
Councilor Josè Maria Kenny (Innovare per Terni), currently the mayoral candidate of the center-left coalition, disagrees and keeps his distance, criticizing the mayor’s language: “You, the mayor, can think what you want, but here you cannot say, what he wants. Shame on you.” ” The mayor gets worse and insults fly from the microphones. The mayor said ‘fuck it’ into the microphone addressing Kenny, who then left the room. The same was done by PD councilor Pierluigi Spinelli, who took the floor to condemn the incident and announce that the group was leaving the room: “After the mayor’s solemn statements – he declared – we are not taking part in this work, they are unacceptable statements and I say this politely.”
PD and FDI council members walked out to protest some of the mayor’s statements during the debate. But councilors of the Popular Alternative, the center-right party resurrected by Bandecchi himself from the rubble of Angelino Alfano’s project in 2007, defend the mayor and justify themselves: “We do not feel offended.” At this point the tone rose: advocates of the mayor’s party, Alternative Popolare, attacked the opposition and therefore approved the law on gender-based violence with amendments determined by the majority. This situation also led to criticism that the minority wanted to include only Giulia Cecchettin’s name in the document to be voted on.
Source: Today IT
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
