And the left is split: "It's absurd, unity is at risk."«

Gay people are disappointed by the mayor's bitter "verdict." They had hoped for a while, but the possibility of marriage has vanished completely. At least, small consolation: while the city council debates de facto unions, the mystery surrounding the padlocks in Piazza Scala has been resolved. They were found in a municipal office and will be returned to the organizers of the June 27 demonstration commemorating the homosexual marriages celebrated in Piazza Scala in 1992. Just a reminder. Because there won't be any more in Milan.
Indeed, the theft of the padlocks the other day had sounded like a kind of negative omen, and now the facts seem to confirm that vanished dream. Arcigay has been hoping all day for the "reappearance of the word family, including the recognition of the many families of homosexual citizens." No weddings, but the registry and recognition of couples remain.
Beyond the disappointment of those directly involved, the political reality emerges: a frayed Democratic Party. "Enough with the ultimatums of councilor Andrea Fanzago (pictured)," warned Roberto Biscardini, a member of the Socialist wing of the Democratic Party, "asking Pisapia to speak out against gay marriage is nonsense." "Fanzago cannot pretend to influence Milan and the Democratic Party's policies on civil rights. With Fanzago's statements, the unity of the Democratic Party is at risk. We Socialists will not change our minds; for us, this resolution sends a strong signal to national politics that Italy must pass a law for de facto couples and the introduction of same-sex marriage as soon as possible." Marco Cappato (Radicals) is cautious and points out that "no one had ever even imagined that the resolution would lead to same-sex marriage.".
With the vote just around the corner, Marilisa D'Amico, president of the Institutional Affairs Committee, summed up the work of the past few months: "We've worked hard, examining every aspect and seeking the broadest possible consensus, while respecting all sensitivities." But those observing outside Palazzo Marino had a different opinion: "What's happening with Mayor Pisapia's frantic push to establish a registry for de facto couples is a complete mess," commented Regional Councilor Romano La Russa. "It's a disgrace, not a defense of civil rights." Regional President Roberto Formigoni emphasized how the issue has "shaken the governing majority at Palazzo Marino. Contradictions, disagreements, and dissatisfaction have emerged, as well as the sheer futility of a measure of this kind.".