Cosenza Mayor Franz Caruso dissolves city council executive

Cosenza Mayor Franz Caruso has announced the total dissolution of the municipal council executive (Giunta) following a political crisis. The decision follows the withdrawal of support by regional councillor Francesco De Cicco, who removed two assessors from the Democratici Progressisti Meridionalisti (DPM) movement from the administration.

Mayor Caruso described the move as a necessary pause for reflection to address political uncertainty and to relaunch the ‘Cosenza 2050’ project. He stated that the dissolution is not a judgment on the performance of the outgoing assessors but an attempt to broaden the progressive coalition and foster dialogue with all center-left forces and civic movements ahead of the 2027 elections.

Opposition figures and political leaders have reacted sharply to the move. Roberto Bartolomeo of Italia del Meridione characterized the administration as reaching a ‘point of no return,’ while Giacomo Mancini of the PD Calabria urged the center-left to overcome internal divisions to build a credible alternative for the city.