Shocking stance by Deiana, whose term expires on August 31 regardless. Bagalà’s response: “The appointment is effective, I am already at work”
Cagliari – A shocking stance by the outgoing president of the Port Authority of the Sea of Sardinia, Massimo Deiana, last Tuesday, August 12. No handover with commissioner Domenico Bagalà, who is supposed to take his place. As a result, the engineer appointed by the Minister of Transport, Matteo Salvini, was unable to take over the chair at the Palazzo del Molo Dogana in Cagliari. In recent days, Deiana had sent a certified email to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport requesting clarifications regarding an alleged irregularity in the appointment to the leadership of the Authority governing Sardinia’s 10 ports.
After two terms, Deiana’s mandate as president expired in mid-July and had been formally extended until August 31. Last Saturday, a sudden acceleration: Salvini signed the decree appointing Bagalà. According to the ministry’s statement, Bagalà is expected to carry out activities aimed at “ensuring administrative continuity and the full operation of the Authority until the restoration of its ordinary governing bodies.” The problem, according to Deiana, lies precisely here: as long as he remains in his extended term, the so-called “administrative continuity” is guaranteed. A replacement appointed before his term ends—August 31—could only be a new president with full powers, not an extraordinary commissioner, who could only step in in case of resignation, which Deiana has not submitted.
In short, these are matters of principle, fine points of law that may interest legal scholars but have nothing to do with the operational efficiency of the island’s ports, as there would be no objection to Bagalà’s professional capabilities. For his part, Bagalà did not flinch and remained calm. To L’Unione Sarda, he serenely stated: “The appointment decree is fully effective. I took office on Tuesday, August 12, and have already begun studying the dossiers of the various ports together with the general secretary.”
