Bologna, June 4, 2026 – The Municipality awards the Turrita d’Oro, one of the city’s most important honors, to **New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani**. “With authoritarianism growing around the world – Mamdani said, thanking for the award – we must be united in our common goal of a supportive, competent, and proudly left-wing government. This award is particularly important because it comes from Bologna, which has a strong tradition of this style of government: from Francesco Zanardi who created municipal grocery stores to Giuseppe Dozza who started public services for children, to Renato Zangheri who made public transport free. This sounds very similar to what we are trying to achieve here in New York.” After the Municipality’s decision, reactions from the city’s opposition erupted, criticizing the choice of the administration led by **Mayor Matteo Lepore**.
Cavedagna (FdI): “It’s serious that Lepore conducts politics through honors”
“The Turrita d’Oro to the mayor of New York, **Zohran Mamdani**, is an unacceptable act. It is very serious that Mayor Lepore uses municipal honors to engage in political activity and forge relationships with left-wing individuals. Furthermore, when he went to **New York** and **Minneapolis** a few weeks ago at the expense of Bolognese citizens, he participated in partisan meetings and a concert against the police. We are still waiting to know how the Bolognese citizens’ money was spent.” Thus **Stefano Cavedagna, deputy of Fratelli d’Italia**. “Lepore is not new to the improper use of honors – he continues – we recall how he granted honorary citizenship to all second-generation immigrants. Honors serve to reward people who have distinguished themselves with the **city of Bologna**, not to promote left-wing ideology by the pound.”
Mayor Matteo Lepore: “Many affinities with Mamdani”
“When, a few months ago, I met the new administration of **New York** to invite the mayor to Bologna – says **Lepore** – we found many affinities, from initiatives to combat poverty through solidarity shops, popular kitchens and our municipal welfare services, to strong support for accessible public transport. Today, together with the **Mayor of Rome**, **Roberto Gualtieri**, we are relaunching this friendship and challenge, on the occasion of the **Festival dei Portici** and the 110th anniversary of the founding in Bologna of the League of Socialist Municipalities, **the current Ali**”.
The Melonian group: “The Turrita d’Oro was abolished in 2018”
For **Fratelli d’Italia**, “it is unclear what ties there can be between the overseas mayor and our Bologna. **Lepore** continues to bestow honors on people who have little or nothing to do with or have donated to our city, while his majority a few days ago denied **Fratelli d’Italia**’s proposal to award the **Nettuno d’Oro to Kimi Antonelli**, a young fellow citizen of ours who is bringing Italy and Bologna to prominence in the world of sport – the group states –. Probably for the left governing Bologna, being socialist and Muslim, like Mamdani, matters more than being a Bolognese champion. In addition to this, we ask ourselves and **we ask the mayor exactly what the Turrita d’Oro is**, given that it is an honor abolished in 2018 and which is **no longer included** in the municipal regulations”.
Di Benedetto (Lega): “Decision that leaves us perplexed, what would be the merits towards Bologna?”
Thus also **Matteo Di Benedetto, group leader of the Lega**: “The awarding of the **Turrita d’Oro** to **New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani** leaves many perplexed. What would be his extraordinary merits towards Bologna? Being left-wing? Being Islamic? What has he concretely done for our city to deserve the highest civic recognition? We are facing yet another propaganda operation by the **Lepore** administration, which uses a prestigious city honor to send political messages”
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