Politics · Italy · 2 hrs ago
Torino official challenges city over plans for former Askatasuna center
The future of the former Askatasuna social center in Turin is at the center of a dispute between regional vice-president Maurizio Marrone and the city government.
The building was cleared after a collaboration agreement ended, and the city has opened a public process to find a new use for it.
On the day the call for interest closed, Marrone said he suspected the process would favor groups linked to the former center.
He sealed a letter naming the groups he expects to win and said he would deposit it with a notary.
Marrone criticized the process for not setting out a ranking or scoring criteria, while the city has received nine proposals that have not yet been assessed.
Representatives of the AVS and Five Star parties accused him of pressuring city staff and casting doubt on their work before they make a decision.
The city’s evaluation will determine who can reuse the building, with the stated aim of returning the space to the neighborhood.
Maurizio Marrone, vice-president of the Piedmont regional government, challenged Turin’s process for deciding how to reuse the former Askatasuna building.
He questioned the rules of the public notice and predicted that the city would favor groups linked to the former social center.
Marrone sealed a letter listing the groups he believes the city may favor and said he would deposit it with a notary.
Regional and city opposition politicians said his action risked pressuring officials and undermining the evaluation process.
The city had received nine expressions of interest, which were still to be assessed.
- Who
- Maurizio Marrone, vice-president of the Piedmont regional government, challenged Turin Mayor Stefano Lo Russo over the process.
- What
- Marrone criticized the public notice for reuse of the former Askatasuna building and predicted who would be favored.
- When
- On the day the public notice’s deadline expired; the article was published on November 9, 2026.
- Where
- At the former Askatasuna building in Turin.
- Why
- Marrone said he feared the process could favor groups linked to the former social center and criticized the notice’s rules.
Maurizio Marrone
Alice Ravinale and Andrea Russi
The public process
Maurizio Marrone
Marrone said the notice was a false public process, citing the lack of a ranking and scoring criteria.
Alice Ravinale and Andrea Russi
Ravinale and Russi said the process was still underway and that the proposals had yet to be evaluated.
Marrone’s sealed letter
Maurizio Marrone
Marrone said it named groups he believed the city was inclined to favor and that he would deposit it with a notary.
Alice Ravinale and Andrea Russi
Ravinale called his action pressure on municipal officials; Russi said it fueled suspicion and pre-emptively discredited the administration’s work.
The building’s future
Maurizio Marrone
Marrone said he would welcome a process that selected legal, capable third-sector groups for public-benefit activities.
Alice Ravinale and Andrea Russi
Ravinale and Russi said Turin needed to recover the space and return it to the neighborhood through a public process.
The former social center was evicted, according to the article.
The public notice deadline for expressions of interest in reusing the building expired.
Marrone challenged the process, displayed a sealed letter with predicted names and said he would deposit it with a notary.
- Location
- Former Askatasuna building, Turin
- Official
- Maurizio Marrone, vice-president of the Piedmont regional government
- Expressions of interest
- 9 received
- Deadline
- November 9, 2026
- Notary deposit
- Marrone said he would deposit a sealed letter naming groups he believed might be favored
What people are saying
We fear sincerely that this is the same co-design process, repackaged under another name.
We see this as a false public tender.
The vice-president is intimidating and putting pressure on the municipal officials who should begin evaluating the outcome of the expressions of interest.
The city has received nine expressions of interest that have yet to be evaluated.