Mayor Sala Rejects Resignation Amid Urban Scandal Probe \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala refused to resign amid a corruption probe into the city’s urban transformation. Prosecutors are investigating over 70 people for alleged bribery tied to building permits and real estate development. The city’s top urban official, Giancarlo Tancredi, resigned but denied wrongdoing.
Quick Looks
- Mayor Giuseppe Sala refuses to resign amid real estate corruption probe.
- Milan prosecutors allege widespread bribery tied to building permits and zoning approvals.
- Investigation includes over 70 individuals, with six facing arrest.
- Top urban official Giancarlo Tancredi resigns, maintains innocence.
- Probes involve major developments like the 2026 Olympic Village.
- Sala insists: “My hands are clean.”
- Critics claim Milan was treated as a “commodity to be plundered.”
- Real estate boom since Expo 2015 and Olympic buildup under scrutiny.
- Center-right opposition calls for Sala’s resignation.
- Premier Giorgia Meloni urges restraint, says inquiry isn’t grounds alone for resignation.
Deep Look
In a striking rebuke of critics, Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala declared Monday he would not resign amid a sweeping corruption investigation into two decades of real estate development that reshaped the skyline of Italy’s economic hub. Sala firmly asserted, “My hands are clean,” in a statement to the city council, defending his administration’s legacy of growth and transformation.
The probe, announced last week by Milan prosecutors, targets over 70 individuals, including developers, architects, and public officials — Sala among them. Authorities allege a network of bribes and influence-peddling used to fast-track urban projects in exchange for political or financial favors, turning Italy’s financial and fashion capital into what prosecutors describe as “a commodity to be plundered.”
At the center of the scandal is the city’s dramatic real estate boom, fueled by international investment and marquee projects like the 2015 Expo and the upcoming 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, including the Olympic Village itself. These developments have ushered in luxury skyscrapers and ambitious revitalization of entire neighborhoods — but not without controversy.
Tancredi Resigns as Sala Holds Firm
While Sala remains defiant, Giancarlo Tancredi, Milan’s top urban planning chief since 2021, tendered his resignation Monday. One of six people prosecutors seek to arrest, Tancredi is a respected architect closely involved in Milan’s recent urban planning efforts. Though stepping down to focus on his legal defense, he denied any wrongdoing, stating, “My conscience is clear.”
The mayor, a member of the center-left Democratic Party now in his second term, used his address to reassure Milanese residents that he has always acted in the city’s interest. “All I have done is in the interest of the city,” Sala emphasized, adding that he would see out his term, which ends in 2026.
Among the key city matters still in flux is the future of the iconic San Siro stadium, jointly used by football giants AC Milan and Inter Milan. Both clubs have pushed for the demolition of the current stadium and construction of a new venue, and Sala noted that the city needs leadership to manage such decisions amid uncertainty.
Calls for Resignation and Political Fallout
Despite Sala’s resolve, political pressure is mounting. Members of Italy’s center-right coalition, which governs nationally, have called for Sala to step down. However, not all voices from the right are aligned on that demand. Lombardy’s regional governor Attilio Fontana, himself a center-right figure, backed Sala’s right to remain in office, saying investigations should not translate into immediate resignations.
Echoing this cautious tone, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni stressed that an open probe should not alone warrant removal from office. “An investigation is not a conviction,” she noted.
The investigation has also renewed scrutiny of the social consequences of Milan’s development boom, particularly in housing affordability. Real estate prices in the city have soared, displacing middle- and working-class residents in a wave of gentrification.
“Do we need to do more to make Milan more fair, healthy and balanced? By definition, we must always do more,” Sala said, acknowledging the city’s socio-economic disparities even as he defended the benefits of its urban evolution.
What’s Next?
The investigation’s breadth — encompassing more than 70 suspects and key real estate projects — suggests a prolonged legal and political saga ahead. Prosecutors are preparing arrest warrants, and further resignations may follow. For now, Sala remains at the center of one of the most serious corruption probes Milan has seen in recent years, determined to weather the storm.
As the 2026 Olympics approach, the outcome of this investigation may shape the city’s trajectory not just legally and politically — but in how it defines itself in the post-boom era.
Mayor Sala Rejects Mayor Sala Rejects
You must Register or Login to post a comment.