Matteo Zeppa (Rete): I find myself compelled to make this statement, which I also made in the Council of Twelve (Consiglio dei XII). There, a regime of confidentiality applies among councillors, Their Excellencies pro tempore and the other parties involved; here, however, you proposed and voted for a closed session, something I opposed from the outset. Precisely for this reason, I believe it is necessary to publicly reiterate what I already said in the Council of Twelve. You know that I try to carry out my role in a political and, at the very least, conscientious manner. When certain residency requests come in, my assessments are based on the documentation submitted to all commissioners and, in particular, on two elements that I consider decisive: any criminal record, based on Gendarmerie certificates, and the existence of debts owed to the State. What I will not accept is being contacted privately on my cellphone regarding cases — handled, moreover, under a regime of secrecy — in which one of these two elements emerged, or, in some cases, both. I will not accept being taken by the scruff of the neck by people who have criminal records or debts to the State. Precisely because we are operating under confidentiality, I consider it even more serious that this can happen. I have been a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee since 2012, and those who have been here since then know that I have always expressed my positions clearly, and I will continue to do so. But if my cellphone number is passed around by the private secretary of a Secretary of State — and I exclude those present here — then I won’t have it. This is why I am once again calling for an end to the secrecy regime. The issues I raise about these cases are tied to precise criteria: criminal records and debts owed to the State. I don’t want to receive messages, through intermediaries, about the positions I take, in this country of omertà, because the documents speak for themselves. If the rules are the same for everyone, they must be applied consistently, all the way through. I may have made many mistakes in my assessments, but if these are the criteria I use, I will not compromise on my ability to express my positions, whether publicly or under confidentiality. And above all, I will not accept that my cellphone number be handed over to anyone with an interest in the cases we are called upon to examine. I won’t play by these rules. This doesn’t concern you, Secretary, and I will have the opportunity to explain elsewhere who I am referring to, but it is a way of operating that I do not accept. My proposal, then, is very simple: not from today, since the agenda has already been set, but starting from next time, I ask that these sessions be held in public. That way, if anyone needs to respond to my observations, they will do so publicly and address the substance: whether or not there are debts owed to the State, and whether or not there are criminal records. I have a hot temper, but I’ve reached a certain age and have started to think things through. If something like this had happened to me ten years ago, I probably wouldn’t be here — I’d be somewhere else. That’s why I won’t accept it. And the same goes for the Council of Twelve: if a regime of confidentiality applies, I will not accept being subsequently contacted by those who submitted the requests under examination. I have my own approach: it may be right or wrong, but it is mine, and I pursue it based on the elements made available to me. I apologize, Mr. President, if I have taken advantage of this final public moment, but I felt it necessary to say this so that whoever is listening, or whoever is later informed of my words, knows clearly where I stand. Because I will not play these games.
Pressure over Council of Twelve cases, Zeppa: “They call me on my cellphone. I won’t play these games”
Rete councillor Matteo Zeppa denounces private contacts over residency applications, calling for public sessions instead of secrecy. Full remarks to the Foreign Affairs Committee.
