In upper Varese Province, support for the merger; in Valcuvia, the No’s win

Results that were anything but homogeneous, and a few surprises, in the mini-referendum involving eight villages in Varese Province today, who were called to express their opinion on their merger.

The three villages in the upper Lake Maggiore area said Yes to the merger plan, very clearly, in Veddasca, and with an almost perfect draw, in Maccagno and in Pino.

Veddasca: YES – The voting station in Veddasca was the first to announce the result, which was clear: 119 Yeses and only 13 Nos. “The people voted following our indications,” explained Adolfo Dellea, who, for twenty years, was the mayor of this village, which includes many hamlets dotted around Val Veddasca. “They had confidence in the choice of the councillors.”

Pino Lago Maggiore: YES – Here, they experienced a genuine moment of suspense, with an exciting head-to-head between the Yeses and the Nos. “With only one ballot paper left to open, we had a perfect draw: 55 to 55,” said Mayor Fiorini. “The paper said Yes, and it decided the outcome of the referendum: 56 Yeses and 55 Nos.” The result was truly decided at the last moment. “I’m satisfied,” the Mayor said. “A lot of people voted, and they were convinced.” One hundred and twelve of the 280 entitled voted (of which, however, 100 are registered as living abroad).

Maccagno: YES – Also in Maccagno, there was an exciting finish, with a victory by only one vote: 536 Yeses, and 535 Nos.

Mayor Fabio Passera was satisfied. “This vote is important, even though, in two villages, the Yeses won by only one. However, we’re satisfied that the reasons in favour prevailed, and in any case, the result should be interpreted also in light of the clear victory in Veddasca. I’m satisfied, because it wasn’t a simple argument, and it was more difficult to explain the reasons in favour, than support the reasons against with some easy slogans. I think that many people were afraid of a change, but I think that, with time, the results we get will even convince those who voted No.”

Of course, Davide Compagnoni, the representative of the No faction, thought differently. “Even though the Yeses won by one vote in two of the villages, this is a great result for us, if we consider the means used by three organised councils against our voluntary action. It’s clear that with two completely balanced results, the entire matter should be reviewed, also because there’s no urgency. With a result like, the ballot papers should be checked.”

In Valcuvia, the people voted quite differently. In Masciago Primo and in Grantola, the Yeses won, while most people voted No in Cassano Valcuvia, Mesenzana and Ferrera. Summing up all of the votes in the five villages, there were 762 Nos, and 509 Yeses.

Masciago Primo: YES – Here, the majority were clearly in favour. Seventy one percent of the people (equal to 69 votes) voted Yes, and only 29% (28 votes) voted No. Forty one percent of those eligible, voted. “We’re happy that the people made enquiries, and that they understood the message and the reasons for voting in favour, and how important this vote was,” said Mayor Vincenzo Maffei.

Cassano Valcuvia: NO – In contrast, most of the people who took part in the referendum in Cassano, voted against the merger: the Nos accounted for 67%, and the Yeses, for only 31%. Only 38.9% of those eligible, voted. “The faction against got more votes, but failed to get people to participate, despite an almost door-to-door campaign. There wasn’t a calm atmosphere, and I think it’s a defeat for our village,” said Marco Magrini, the Mayor of Cassano.

Grantola: YES – Also in Grantola, only a part of those eligible, about 36%, voted, with a balanced result. The Yeses accounted for 54%, and the Nos, 46%. “The negative result was the poor turnout,” was the first comment of Mayor Silvano Ronzani. “I’m satisfied, because the majority support the council’s plan, but now, we need to see if, and how, we can carry out the plan, in light of the result in the five villages.”

Ferrera di Varese: NO – Here, participation in the vote was a little higher: 41% of the registered voters went to cast their vote, and the majority (64%) were against the merger, with 35% in favour. Mayor Morello preferred not to comment on the spur of the moment. “I first want to assess the outcome in the other villages and to think about it calmly.”

Mesenzana: NO

– The last of the villages in Valcuvia to announce the result, Mesenzana, had a clear majority (71%) against the idea of a merger, and only 26% were in favour. However, participation in the vote was low. “This result was expected,” said  Mayor Anna Vonini. “The greatest disappointment was over the poor participation. Either the people weren’t interested in this argument, or we weren’t able to involve them in matters that we think are very important for the community. We’ll review the situation in the town council, also in light of what Lombardy Region says.”