The mayor of Merano Katharina Zeller is not wearing the tricolour sash. Case breaks out

The gesture of the newly elected mayor of Merano Katharina Zeller, a German-speaking member of the Südtiroler Volkspartei, is causing controversy. On the occasion of the handover with outgoing mayor Dario Dal Medico, Zeller took off her tricolour sash and placed it on a chair, surprising her predecessor and those present. Instead, Zeller wore the medallion with the city's coat of arms, a legacy of Tyrolean tradition. According to the rules of autonomy, the medallion 'is intended to emphasise the official presence of the first citizen at ceremonies and institutional events of a local character, strengthening the link between the municipal administration and the community', and could therefore replace the tricolour sash.

A video shows the first citizen wearing the sash only for a moment and then placing it on the table in front of her. Zeller, 38 years old and a lawyer by profession, was Dario Dal Medico's deputy in the last municipal legislature: it is he himself, in the video, who asks her to wear the sash again as they pose together with the key to the city: "That (the sash) has to be put on though. You have to wear it. If you put it on, I'll keep it (the key),' says the former mayor, who is answered with a 'come on, then don't keep it'.

Zeller said in a note: ''With regard to the episode that occurred during the handover with the outgoing mayor, I feel it is my duty to clarify in order to avoid instrumentalisation and to draw attention to the real meaning of what happened. My reaction in removing the tricolour sash immediately after it had been placed on my shoulders should in no way be interpreted as a gesture of contempt towards the symbols of the Republic or towards the tricolour itself. I will wear the sash with the utmost respect in all the circumstances envisaged by institutional protocol, as my German-speaking predecessors always did'.

''I would also like to point out that in South Tyrol, by custom, the official badge for mayors is the medallion with the city's coat of arms. In this context, lawyer Dal Medico's insistence that I also wear the sash - in a forced manner and outside local practice - was perceived by me as a provocative gesture and a clear sign of institutional discourtesy. In a moment already charged with tension, I experienced that gesture as a personal challenge. My reaction was instinctive, human, and in no way political or symbolic against the tricolour'.

''I am sorry to see that people are trying to instrumentalise this episode in order to divert attention from the real news: the clear and historic victory in the runoff, with a difference of 1,880 votes. This is a clear and democratic result, expressing the trust of the citizenship in a new project, led by a young woman, with an inclusive and concrete vision for the future of our city. This attempt to raise an unfounded controversy only aims to detract from the importance of mature political change, built on real dialogue between language groups, which I have always promoted and will continue to promote with responsibility. I am already at work, with full commitment and sense of institutions, to serve all the citizens of our community, with the utmost respect for republican values and the symbols that unite us. If my gesture has offended anyone's sensibilities, I sincerely apologise. It was absolutely not my intention, and I am sure that my daily commitment, my actions and my respect for all institutions will make clear, in deed, my full adherence to the principles of our Republic''.