Urban planning in Milan escalates: 74 people under investigation and heated political reactions.

A new urban planning scandal has erupted in Milan : an investigation involving 74 people, including Mayor Beppe Sala. The charges concern alleged irregularities and opaque practices in urban development, a crucial area for the city's growth and management. The news immediately sparked a heated political debate, with heated reactions from various political factions, while further developments in the investigation are awaited.

Urban planning in Milan: 74 people under investigation

The Prosecutor's Office's investigation into Milan's urban planning involves 74 suspects, including members of the city administration. According to the prosecution, public offices, rather than protecting the public interest, served a select group of privileged individuals.

The investigation has led to requests for house arrest for Urban Regeneration Councilor Giancarlo Tancredi and prison sentences for Giuseppe Marinoni and Alessandro Scandurra, president and vice president, respectively, of the now-dissolved Landscape Commission. Mayor Giuseppe Sala, who will be heard in court on Monday, is also under investigation.

The investigation, which includes several strands, including that of architect Giovanni Oggioni, could be further expanded. Among those under investigation are prominent businessmen such as Manfredi Catella of Coima, and other managers for whom prosecutors have requested prison sentences. The preliminary investigations judge will decide on the requests for precautionary measures after the hearings scheduled for July 23.

The investigation revealed the existence of a "shadow" plan for land management, conceived by Marinoni and supported by Palazzo Marino, aimed at circumventing regulations to facilitate construction in peripheral areas. Furthermore, there are suspicions of improper use of the Public-Private Partnership to avoid the required legal procedures.

"My position is the same as I always have on these cases: I think the judiciary should take its course , and as far as the mayor is concerned, I have never been convinced that a notice of investigation automatically leads to resignation . It is a choice the mayor must make based on his ability, in this scenario, to govern as best he can. I do not change my position based on the political affiliation of those under investigation." These are the words of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the investigation into urban planning in Milan , in an interview with Tg1.

From the opposition benches, signs were displayed reading " Resign. Sala and his cabinet must free Milan ." Councilors from the League and Brothers of Italy parties then walked away from their seats. The protest ended when the League's deputy secretary and city councilor, Silvia Sardone, placed one of the signs on the mayor's chair, who was absent along with Councilor Tancredi.

“I never ask for his resignation when a proceeding begins, which I don't know to what extent it concerns him personally, but the Sala administration has certainly demonstrated that it is not suited to Milan ,” underlined the President of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa.

Even outside Palazzo Marino, in a sit-in led by Lega group leader Riccardo Truppo, representatives of the Lega and Fratelli d'Italia parties loudly called for Sala's resignation.

The intervention of the Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto , who harshly criticised the actions of the judiciary, also caused an outcry:

I continue to believe that the judiciary should not and cannot replace the electorate. In Milan, a segment of the investigating magistrates has even decided to substitute itself for the legislator , in the areas of urban planning, taxation, and labor, through regulatory interpretations that seem to me, in many respects, far removed from the law and indeed very dangerous.

Among the reactions was that of Giuseppe Conte (M5S), who reiterated the Movement's position on legality, emphasizing that no one should be spared or adopt double standards. According to Conte, the Movement had already raised concerns in Milan about the less-than-transparent management of construction projects, perceived as opaque and ambiguous, and what is emerging from the investigations today simply confirms what has been known and discussed for some time. Therefore, he added, current developments shouldn't be surprising.

Justice Minister Carlo Nordio also intervened in the political and institutional debate raised by the Milan urban planning investigation, underlining the impact of the recent reform he promoted.

I can't comment on the merits, but I can say one thing: these people, at least some of them, were asked to be arrested, meaning detention or house arrest. Before the reform I advocated, these people would currently be in prison and would later be questioned. With our reform, however, we have reversed the roles precisely to emphasize the presumption of innocence.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has renewed its confidence in the mayor: Alessandro Capelli, the Democratic Party secretary for Milan, has declared his continued support for the work Sala and the administration will carry out over the next two years. Elly Schlein contacted the mayor of Milan by phone to express her support and full solidarity at this particularly delicate time.