Catena acquires leadership of Cagli
By Mike Movido
As he turns the key to his office for the first time, he cites an Italian proverb that says it is bad luck to start anything on a Tuesday. He opens the door to an empty office and invites the Americani in for his first exclusive interview. Always smiling, his charisma outshines his apparent nervousness, Patrizio Catena begins his life as the new mayor (il nuovo sindaco) on Tuesday, June 9, 2009.
Patrizio Catena was elected mayor of Cagli in early June. Photos by - Will O'Brien
In a blue business suit he looks the part as he sits down at his desk, which has nothing more than a phone and a lamp. His margin of victory in the election was very large, so the possibility to make a difference is enormous.
Born into a humble farming family, Catena says his parents raised him to care about others. He attributes his strong, community-oriented values to his upbringing. His passion for helping people prompted him to become involved in politics. As a young man, he joined the communist party because he believed in the cause. Perhaps it was fate, but Catena claims he first ran for political office by accident. The communist party needed a young face to represent its ideals, and Catena was the perfect choice. At 25 years of age, Catena began a political career that now includes mayor of Cagli.
Nearing 50, Catena is more passionate than ever about his ability to change lives through politics. The center-left, the coalition of parties to which he belongs, asked him to run for mayor. Having been involved in politics for so long, Catena felt running was naturally the next step in his career.
A clear reflection of Catena’s personality, the center-left values solidarity with and help for the poor, weak, and marginalized in society. The coalition also believes in government intervention in the lives of the people.
Ask him what he loves most about politics, and he will tell you quite simply, “la gente” (the people). He loves the relationships he builds both with his colleagues and the citizens he serves. This mayor does not plan to stay cooped up in his office all day. He wants to be with the people. As he says, “Politics has such a negative connotation. I see it as a service to other people.” He would advise young aspiring politicians to remember this and to get involved as soon as possible.
One of Catena's goals is to spend as little time in the office as possible. Instead, he would like to speak with the citizens of Cagli in the piazza or bars such as Caffe d'Italia.
For this election, Catena’s advisers put him through a rigorous preparation process to better understand the role of the mayor and how to campaign effectively. He is grateful for his family’s help and support in this election as well. After a long day of campaigning, he would return home to his wife and two children completely exhausted. They were very understanding of his stress and frustration.
A man who keeps on giving, Catena has worked at the local ospedale (hospital) as a technical inspector in addition to his political career. But he made the difficult decision to quit his job at the hospital to fully dedicate himself to his new position as mayor.
Winning by a large margin would have seemed impossible for the center-left – the incumbent party in a shifting political climate – if not for the charisma, experience, and new ideas of their mayoral candidate. Catena felt greatly honored to have been personally elected out of the three mayoral candidates. Typically, Italians vote a straight ticket down one of the many party lines. However, many people voted specifically for him to be mayor.
The transition from the previous mayor Domenico Papi to Catena was very simple as the office remained within the party. As one of his first acts as mayor, Catena granted an exclusive interview to the American students, noting “I feel honored to do this interview.” He feels working with the Americans is a great way to get Cagli on the map as an important city.
Befitting his personal interests, Catena’s mayoral responsibilities lie primarily in social services and the public wellbeing. More specifically, he handles issues including public health, urban planning, security, and educational resources such as facilities, transportation, and cafeteria services. He is also responsible for nominating people to the city council.
While the excitement of the election still runs high, some citizens have their reservations and mixed feelings about their new mayor (see video at right). However, Alberto Mazzacchera, reelected vice sindaco (the vice mayor) has high hopes for his colleague. Having worked with Catena for the past five years on the city council, Alberto knows the new mayor very well and knows him to be a “very honest, upright person who is not willing to give up his autonomy.” Above all, the citizens of Cagli want change and view the election of a younger mayor a step in the right direction.
Catena plans to tackle the local economic crisis as his top priority. He wants to address the problem of unemployment in the city as well as to support families and retired people in this difficult time. He emphasizes the importance of keeping small, family-owned businesses afloat. Many small shops have already closed as a result of the economic downturn, and Catena wants to prevent any more.
While Catena’s future looks bright, he chooses to live in the present. He has already reached his aspirations and accomplished more than he could have imagined. He wants to live one moment at a time. “I think of the future of the city, and not my own future. This is a service to the people and not myself.”
If you sit outside Caffe d’Italia at any point during the day, you will likely see the new mayor mingling with citizens in the piazza. He may even shake your hand as he smiles and tells you “Ciao! Buon giorno.”
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