Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
SYRACUSE – Political tensions are rising within Syracuse’s centre-right. On one side stands Vincenzo Vinciullo, provincial commissioner of Grande Sicilia; on the other, Luca Cannata, Fratelli d’Italia MP. At the heart of the dispute are the future of the municipal administration led by mayor Francesco Italia, the no-confidence motion and relations between coalition partners.
The spark for Cannata’s reply came from Vinciullo’s statements, which challenged the MP’s attitude, accusing him of stoking tensions among allies rather than fostering a shared path.
“MP Cannata seems to forget that he was elected to parliament with votes from the entire centre-right, yet he interprets his mandate as if it were a unilateral appointment,” Vinciullo said, arguing that the Fratelli d’Italia figure continues to sow discord within the coalition.
The Grande Sicilia provincial commissioner also rejected criticism about political consistency, recalling that, in his view, Cannata had in the past urged voters to back the Five Star Movement rather than the centre-right candidate. Vinciullo also contested what he sees as claims for positions and roles by the Meloni party member during provincial coalition meetings.
Vinciullo has particularly targeted Grande Sicilia’s presence in the Syracuse area, the no-confidence motion against mayor Francesco Italia and the Aretusa Acque affair. According to the political leader, Cannata is focused on these issues and on administrative choices, partly because Fratelli d’Italia has representation on the Municipal council.
Vinciullo then pointed to the departures of several figures from the party and the loss of municipal councillors, arguing that internal tensions have weakened Fratelli d’Italia in Syracuse. “Alliances do not work this way: no one can demand obedience, nor back a coalition partner into a corner,” he concluded.
Cannata’s reply: “Let them say if they will vote for no confidence”
Luca Cannata’s response shifts the debate to a precise question: do Grande Sicilia and Mpa intend to vote for the no-confidence motion against mayor Italia, or will they continue to support his administration?
“Vinciullo keeps calling ‘threats’ the questions he does not want to answer. No one is imposing anything on him: we are simply asking him to tell citizens whether Grande Sicilia Mpa will vote for no confidence in Italia or continue to prop him up by supporting him. A simple question, which he meets only with personal attacks,” the Fratelli d’Italia MP said.
Cannata recalled Vinciullo’s earlier criticism of the Italia administration, demanding clarification on what has changed since then. In the MP’s view, the Grande Sicilia commissioner has shifted his political stance, moving from opposition to the mayor to criticising those now calling for no confidence.
“Consistency is shown when you have to choose, even at the cost of passing up the convenience of the moment,” Cannata added, contesting what he sees as a contradiction between Vinciullo’s past positions and his current attitude towards the municipal administration.
The Giovanna Porto case and the allegations over appointments
Another front in the clash concerns figures who have left Fratelli d’Italia. Cannata accused Vinciullo of citing these episodes without reconstructing the subsequent political moves of some elected members.
Among the examples given by the MP is Giovanna Porto, who, according to Cannata, was elected with Fratelli d’Italia votes, then switched to Mpa and later was appointed as the member of the municipal executive responsible for a portfolio in the Italia administration.
The MP used the case to challenge Vinciullo’s narrative of the party’s internal dynamics and its relations with the municipal administration. “Do not confuse the consensus won at the ballot box with the subsequent shifts of elected members,” he said, urging the Grande Sicilia commissioner to explain to citizens the political meaning of these moves.
Cannata also raised the issue of alleged offers of positions that, he claims, were made to him by Carta and that he refused. “There are people who can confirm it. I publicly challenge him and Vinciullo to deny it,” he said, maintaining that he is interested in skills and in the answers to give to citizens, rather than in the distribution of positions.
These are statements by the MP that involve other key players in the affair, and in the reported remarks, no specific reply is provided by Carta.
The political crux remains the no-confidence motion
Beyond the mutual attacks, the core of the dispute remains the future of the administration led by Francesco Italia and the stance that Grande Sicilia and Mpa intend to take on the no-confidence motion.
Cannata reiterated that Fratelli d’Italia is working to build a political alternative and has no intention of forming alliances with those who continue to support the mayor. Hence his demand that Vinciullo and Carta openly clarify their position and, in his interpretation, take political responsibility for the administration’s choices.
For his part, Vinciullo contested the MP’s methods, arguing that ultimatums and impositions risk deepening divisions within the centre-right and compromising collaboration between allies.
The confrontation thus remains open on two levels: on the one hand, the strategy for the future of the city government; on the other, the internal balance within the coalition and the mutual accusations of inconsistency and seeking positions. The political question to which Cannata demands an answer, however, remains on the table: what will Grande Sicilia and Mpa’s position be on the no-confidence motion against mayor Italia?
