Milan's embattled mayor addresses the City Council following the urban planning investigations:"These are confusing days, but my hands are clean." He announced his intention to continue his term. Councilor Tancredi, however, has resigned.

• The mayor of Milan Beppe Sala spoke in the City Council, for the first time on the urban planning investigation.   My hands are clean, he said, ruling out resignation.  
• The councilor for urban regeneration Giancarlo Tancredi , involved in the investigation, has resigned
• Outside the city hall, barriers and a protest

7:13 PM | July 21

Tensions erupt between police and protesters outside Palazzo Marino.

Tension erupted outside Palazzo Marino, where several protesters who wanted to enter the City Council building were blocked by riot police. During Mayor Beppe Sala's speech, which announced his intention not to resign following the urban planning investigation involving him, and afterward, several dozen members of Cambiare Rotta, Potere al Popolo, CUB, and Rifondazione Comunista attempted to break through the police cordon guarding the building, but were repelled by officers holding shields. After a brief confrontation, the protesters returned to Piazza Scala to demand the resignation of the mayor and his council.

6:02 PM | July 21

Toto names, there is push for Granata

Following Giancarlo Tancredi's resignation, the guessing game for the cabinet reshuffle begins. The Democratic Party, the Sala administration's main party, is pushing for a third, change-of-concept figure. This figure appears difficult to identify. The goal, however, is to speed things up: Tancredi's successor will arrive soon, perhaps as soon as tomorrow. A slew of delegations also seems unlikely. Among the names being favored is Elena Granata, a professor at the Polytechnic University and an expert in urban analysis.

5:33 PM | July 21

Tancredi: Disgraced councilor removed

It will be interesting to see, with the disgraced councilor for the game removed, and still in the absence of that comprehensive national law for organic reform whose definition and approval I have always hoped to see, how"Milan's urban planning" will change—if such a definition even makes sense. As if it weren't governed by a composite set of political strategies, ideal values, sometimes rapidly evolving needs, and public and private interests. This was stated by the now former councilor for Urban Regeneration, Giancarlo Tancredi.

Milan city councilors gave Tancredi a standing ovation after his resignation.

5:24 PM | July 21

The mayor: More messages now than during the election

Still on the subject of his continuing mandate, Mayor Sala said:"If the majority is there, and it is there courageously, with responsibility and heart, in opposition to believing, obeying, and fighting as Antonio Greppi stated, I am there. With all the passion, desire, and love for this city I am capable of. I have received more phone calls, messages, and emails during this time than when I was elected. From friends, current and former institutional leaders, strangers, from my constituents, and from people who have told me they are not my constituents, but who say they believe in my honesty and dedication," he said.

5:21 PM | July 21

The San Siro theme returns, from September

Now that it's clear the mayor will not resign, urban planning issues are back on the table. First and foremost, the future of the stadium. We must restart the council's process on the stadium in September with the goal of meeting the project's timeline: Sala reiterated this in listing the program items to be pursued until the end of the legislature.

5:18 PM | July 21

Former councilor Tancredi: Disappointed by some in the majority

Councilor for Urban Regeneration Giancarlo Tancredi submitted his resignation today. Tancredi himself announced this, speaking to the City Council immediately after Mayor Sala's speech, who instead

announced his intention to continue in his role. The now former councilor added: I hope this gesture of mine will help bring greater peace of mind and bring clarity to the situation as quickly as possible. He then added: I must express my disappointment with the position of some of the majority forces. With all due respect to the principle of due process.

5:14 PM | July 21

Sala: More motivated than ever to continue

Today, more than ever, I am motivated to continue my work, Sala added. We cannot all disagree that justice and politics must deal with different areas, and for this society to function, this distinction must be made. This is why, at this time, our response must be political.

5:07 PM | July 21

Tancredi: I'm resigning, but my conscience is clear.

The councilor for Urban Regeneration spoke after the mayor, and instead stated:"I resign." He then became emotional, saddened by the work he will not be able to complete."My conscience is clear," he said.

Urban Planning Inquiry, Tancredi: I Resigned, My Conscience Is Clear

5:06 PM | July 21

Standing ovation from the majority

The resignation hasn't arrived: Sala will therefore continue his term. The mayor's speech was greeted with a standing ovation from the majority councilors.

5:02 PM | July 21

Why was the news released?

Sala stated last week that he learned of his involvement in the investigation from the press. He reserved a passage of his speech to this: I don't intend to pass judgment on the judiciary's actions. I can't avoid telling my version of events. However, I cannot avoid pointing out a recurring behavior in this country that I consider profoundly wrong. The media reported that, according to the judiciary, it was not necessary to notify me of anything because it was not necessary to carry out investigative activities that require the participation of the suspect: I understand and accept this. But then I ask myself, since the judiciary is the only body responsible for communicating these documents, why was this information released to the press? I ask you, my fellow politicians, whether you are still satisfied with those who govern, or who claim to aspire to govern, a city or a country, that confidential investigations become public?

4:57 PM | July 21

You can't destabilize me

Certain politicians are making a mistake: the mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala said so in his speech in the chamber, adding that if this is done to obtain a photo story on the local pages, it's fine, but if you do it

to destabilize me, you have no chance, in life I have faced things a hundred times more serious.

4:56 PM | July 21

To Marcora: We'll see if he makes a career...

To Councilor Marcora who thought he'd have a moment of fame by posting a photo of me as a convict, I want to say that I've reported your actions to the leaders of your party, to the Prime Minister, and to the

President of the Senate: this is what Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala told Fratelli d'Italia city councilor Enrico Marcora. I'm keeping their response to myself. Now I'll wait and see: if the political party you joined helps you advance your career, it will mean they agree with and support your

behavior.

Urban planning investigation, back-and-forth between Sala and the FdI councilor who posted photos of him in prison.

4:54 PM | July 21

A Q&A with Marcora (after the prisoner photo)

The mayor's speech in the chamber was interrupted at several points by the opposition. A back-and-forth exchange with FdI councilor Enrico Marcora, a former candidate on Sala's list, had shared a photo of the mayor wearing a black and white striped tracksuit, typical of the iconography of a prisoner. Sala said,"I have detected clumsy and rude behavior from certain politicians."

4:49 PM | July 21

Tension outside Palazzo Marino

While Mayor Sala's speech began inside the council chamber, sparking controversy among the opposition, there were moments of tension outside: police confronted some Potere al Popolo activists who attempted to break through the barriers. (Porta-LaPresse)

4:43 PM|

The mayor: Nothing to my advantage.

Everything I've done during my two terms in office has always been, and always has been, exclusively in the best interest of the citizens. Not a single action can be attributed to my personal advantage; my hands are clean, Mayor Giuseppe Sala reiterated, speaking in the Chamber at Palazzo Marino on the urban planning affair that has him under investigation.

Urban Planning Investigation: Mayor Sala to the Opposition: Are you okay with confidential investigations being made public?

4:37 PM | July 21

Hall: My hands are clean

At 4:36 PM, right on time, Mayor Beppe Sala spoke: These are confusing days when everything seems to be getting dark. My hands, he said, are clean. I acted in the citizens' best interests.

Milan, Mayor Sala in the City Council: My hands are clean.

4:36 PM | July 21

The position of the councilor

While waiting for the mayor to speak, all eyes are on Giancarlo Tancredi, the councilor responsible for urban planning. The Milan prosecutor's office has requested house arrest for him as part of the new investigation into urban planning. During today's meeting, Mayor Sala will also clarify his position regarding the investigation into him.

4:29 PM | July 21

The Council stands in solidarity with Tancredi

A long embrace from the entire council greeted Giancarlo Tancredi, Milan's councilor for Urban Regeneration, as he entered the council chamber at Palazzo Marino. One by one, the other councilors showed their solidarity with their colleague, who is expected to formally resign today. (Marco Castelnuovo, photo Furlan-LaPresse)

4:13 PM | July 21

Barriers and queues in front of Palazzo Marino

Barriers and queues. Dozens of citizens are outside Palazzo Marino waiting to enter the Chamber to hear Mayor Beppe Sala's speech, following developments in the judicial investigations into urban planning that implicate him as an suspect. The council's leader will reveal his decision today: take a step back or continue, with the concrete changes for the city that the Democratic Party has requested of the mayor. The stepping down of Urban Planning Councillor Giancarlo Tancredi, who will formalize his resignation shortly in the Chamber, seems inevitable.
While waiting for the 4:30 pm City Council bell to ring, the decisive hour for Milan,
the committees are protesting outside the City Hall. In particular, in Piazza della Scala there are the Suspended Families, who due to judicial investigations cannot access the homes they purchased as some of these are under seizure or under judicial scrutiny. (Chiara Evangelista)

3:59 PM | July 21

The garrison in front of Palazzo Marino

During the City Council meeting, barriers have been placed outside the entrance to Palazzo Marino. In addition to the public queuing to attend the meeting, protesters from Cambiare Rotta, Potere al Popolo, and Rifondazione Comunista are gathering with flags, signs, and banners. They will hold a demonstration calling for the resignation of the city council. The seats reserved for the public in the Council Chamber have already been filled, and preparations are being made in Sala Brigida for a live broadcast of the meeting.

12:45 PM | July 21

Milan's National Association of Magistrates: Unacceptable Attacks on Prosecutors in the Urban Planning Case

The Milan Magistrates' Association expresses its full solidarity with all colleagues involved in the investigation into urban planning management. They have been subjected to attacks simply for carrying out their work and have been subjected to unacceptable criticism, which tends to attribute to public prosecutors the pretense of substituting for the legislator and the habit of taking dangerous initiatives based on alleged ideological hatred. This is emphasized by the local Magistrates' Association, in defense of the actions of Milan's magistrates. The setting of preliminary hearings by the investigating judge (...), following requests made by the prosecutor (...), has in recent days sparked harsh criticism of the judiciary's actions, including from institutional representatives. The Milan National Association of Magistrates' Associations (ANM) – the press release states – expresses its full solidarity with all colleagues who have been victims of attacks simply for carrying out their work, recalling that the interpretation and application of the law is the prerogative of the courts, which are committed daily to safeguarding respect for constitutional principles, including, first and foremost, the presumption of innocence of those under investigation.

12:14 PM | July 21

Pm: Public areas sold to private individuals

The Milan Public Prosecutor's Office's investigation into urban planning also focuses on state-owned, public, or formerly public lands that prosecutors allege were sold to private individuals without regard for the public interest. According to the Prosecutor's Office, this occurred based on a large set of program variant agreements—the instrument used—concluded and implemented during the administrative investigation of the private proposals. A prosecutor's report also identifies the projects in question: railway yards, such as the one at Porta Romana for the Olympic Village, barracks, and the one on Piazzale Loreto.

11:55 AM | July 21

All the crimes of the investigation

(Claudio Del Frate) Corruption, extortion, abuse of office: at the time of Mani Pulite public opinion became familiar with these crimes around which revolved the carousel of arrests, interrogations and sentences that decreed the end of the first republic. The new investigation that is affecting the municipality of Milan - without bothering to make comparisons with the famous historical precedent - forces us to update the ABC of the more specific crimes that have been committed over the years.

Here is a brief vademecum.

False Statements About Personal Qualities or Those of Others

Anyone...when questioned about the identity, status, or other qualities of himself or another person, makes false statements to a public official or a person entrusted with a public service, in the exercise of his duties or service, is punishable by imprisonment for one to five years: this is stated in Article 496 of the Criminal Code. This article seeks to repress so-called conflicts of interest and is contested against the president of the Landscape Commission, Giuseppe Marinoni, who failed to disclose the assignments he received from private individuals. But also Mayor Sala and Councilor Tancredi because—according to prosecutors—despite being aware of Marinoni's duties, they confirmed him as head of the landscape commission.

Corruption

An old familiar facet of investigations into the connections between business and politics, it states: A public official who, in the exercise of his duties or powers, unduly receives, for himself or a third party, money or other benefits, or accepts the promise of such, is punishable by three to eight years of imprisonment. This formulation is a product of the 2012 Severino law, which better defined when a public official incurs the penalties of the law. In the Milan investigation, corruption is again being charged to Marinoni as an act contrary to official duties, precisely because he failed to abstain from examining files originating from the companies from which he had received assignments and consultancy services, but also from the pool of builders who paid for those consultancies.

Undue Inducement to Give or Promise Benefits

We are still dealing with corruption, but this specific law is the result of the division introduced in 2012 with the Severino Law. It states: a public official or person in charge of a public service who, abusing his position or powers, induces someone to unduly give or promise, to him or a third party, money or other benefits is punishable by imprisonment from six years to ten years and six months. This is a more severe penalty than simple corruption and punishes those who exert pressure on private individuals. The prosecutor's office identifies this offense in the behavior of Councilor Tancredi, who leveraged the president of the landscape commission to secure the green light for projects by builders and designers.

Illicit influence peddling

Of all the crimes charged, this is the youngest, having been rewritten in 2024 following the abolition of the old abuse of office charge, desired by the Meloni government and Minister Nordio. The reference is to Article 346-bis of the Criminal Code: Whoever...intentionally using existing relationships with a public official or a person in charge of a public service...unduly causes money or other economic benefit to be given or promised, to himself or to others, to remunerate a public official or a person in charge of a public service...in relation to the exercise of his duties...is punishable by imprisonment for a term of one year and six months to four years and six months. The line between this and corruption is quite blurry. The dispute in this case concerns an architect who had been a member of the landscape commission.

11:50 AM | July 21

The Democratic Party's trust

(Chiara Evangelista) A meeting to orient the fate of his mandate and understand the mood among his party colleagues. Today at 6:30 pm, a delegation from the city Democratic Party arrived at the home of Mayor Beppe Sala, composed of the metropolitan secretary Alessandro Capelli, his regional counterpart Silvia Roggiani, and the group leader in the city council Beatrice Uguccioni. A positive atmosphere, they summarized upon leaving. And they further explained that the future of Milan was discussed. According to rumors the day before, Sala discussed with them the next steps and the words he will have to use tomorrow in the Chamber, where he will report on the judicial investigation that places him under investigation. In the last few hours, the mayor's state of mind has oscillated between doubts: take a step back or continue?

After the meeting the mayor did not release any statements, while the Democratic representatives spoke of a constructive meeting, in which their support and backing for the mayor was reconfirmed. Capelli reiterated that signs of change are needed and that this could be an opportunity to start over.

For now, the mayor has gained the trust of the Democratic Party leaders, but on the condition of those concrete changes
, called for by the party in the past few hours:
We want to continue alongside the mayor — the metropolitan Democratic Party secretary Alessandro Capelli had reiterated before the meeting — knowing that since 2011 many important things have been done for Milan, but that today, in a changed social context, it is necessary to invest in new policies for the city that put social, environmental, opportunity and equality issues at the center. The San Siro package
was also the topic of discussion, regarding which the objective was to mediate between the mayor's desire to conclude negotiations with Inter and Milan for the sale of the Meazza and the areas around the stadium by July 31, and the caution called for by his party colleagues. The summit reportedly decided to postpone approval of the resolution until September. The wait remains for the City Council meeting, where the city councilor will address the chamber. Should Sala choose to remain in the highest seat at Palazzo Marino, tomorrow's speech promises to be a programmatic speech for the two years remaining until his mandate expires. A relaunch, from green spaces to urban planning to high rents, following the prodding of the Democratic Party, but also the awareness on the part of Sala himself that until 2027, it's not just a matter of dragging the cart. First and foremost, therefore, the direction is to continue with the Housing Plan, the City of Milan's project that aims to build ten thousand rent-controlled apartments in ten years. Then, avoid clashes with the Prosecutor's Office. For this reason, the new land use plan, which regulates building development on municipal land, must be unassailable, clear, and free from broad interpretations that could allow projects that would actually be new constructions to be classified as renovations. And then, among the points of Monday's discussion, green would undoubtedly be a key issue: increasing the number of trees in the city to mitigate the urban heat island effect.

11:35 AM | July 21

Two speeches are ready with different endings: one with resignation, the other without.

(Maurizio Giannattasio) He has two speeches on the table. The first part is the same. Only the conclusions change. In the one with the green cover, Beppe Sala will continue to be mayor, strong in the support of his majority; in the one with the orange cover, the mayor will step back because he has no intention of suffering the fate of the lame duck and continuing to eke out a living, semi-commissioned by his majority. Whoever glimpsed them on the table noticed that the green dominates the orange.

A fortune teller's job. But all the messages, all the consultations held yesterday by Sala, indicate that the mayor is thinking about the future, which, translated from the foggy language of politics, means that he is working on the things to be done. A mortgage on the future and on the decision to stay in his post. But with one detail that has been little highlighted until now. The agenda is being dictated not only by the conditions of the Democratic Party (PD) (h1), which yesterday renewed its confidence in the mayor, calling for discontinuity, but also, with equal and opposite force, by those of the mayor towards his majority party.
Which issues are you ready to support? Is the electoral pact still valid?
This, this, and this are on the table; what will your behavior be in the chamber? Between this and this, there's one this more than the others: the sale of San Siro to the teams. For Sala, it's almost a point of honor: to have come within a hundred meters of a solution to an issue that has been open for over 5 years and then let it vanish into thin air. The Democratic Party is preaching caution. There's no point in rushing, it's dangerous to bring the resolution to the chamber when the political and judicial thermometer reads 40. Better to wait, especially since August is just around the corner, and it's becoming truly difficult to force the hand. Questions and answers. The questions the mayor, before picking up the appropriate folder and bringing it to Palazzo Marino, asked the Democratic Party delegation that returned to his home yesterday. Metropolitan Secretary Alessandro Capelli, Regional Representative Silvia Roggiani, and City Council group leader Beatrice Uguccioni. More than two hours of discussion.
To put the x's in the boxes.

Pedal, the mayor, pedal. Even yesterday, on the day of big decisions,
Sala didn't give up his bike ride with his team of friends. Some reported him near Corso Plebisciti. For the rest, seclusion. With his thoughts, his obsessions, and his outbursts. Like the deeply felt one against the former mayor of Turin and current Five Star Movement MP Chiara Appendino, who asked the mayor to step aside, recalling that the Democratic Party, along with the right, had voted for that piece of junk called Salva Milano. Sala had defended her during the events in Piazza San Carlo and had continued to defend her during the crisis in the Turin government. Make a good note of these words. They seem prophetic:"Her problem," Sala says, speaking of Appendino,"is that she has a less cohesive majority than I have. I saw her determined to move forward. A mayor knows she has a responsibility to resign; it's a huge responsibility. She has her head on her shoulders, but it depends on how the Council majority reacts. Yesterday, her majority, at least as far as the party with the relative majority, the Democratic Party, is concerned, reacted by asking and offering. Asking for discontinuity on hot topics and offering availability for future support and on individual dossiers. Even the San Siro issue seems to be slowly slipping towards a mild September. But anyone who thinks that the Democratic Party representatives left Sala's house with the final verdict in their pocket is very wrong. The folders with the speeches are still there on his desk. The drip-feed of papers that come out day after day, the feeling of being constantly implicated as a perpetrator of crimes, the fear of not being able to carry out the things that need to be done are flags to keep in mind. In the first part of his speech to the chamber, he will recall the things done, the billion for welfare, the housing plan, the choices on soft mobility, the budget that deserves a triple A rating, the investments in culture, the battles for rights. For the second part, we will have to wait for the night reflections and for those who read the newspaper it is already the day of big decisions.