Bugetti, former mayor of Prato: "Someone is being convicted without a trial."

Prato, July 27, 2025 – On June 20, she signed her resignation as mayor of Prato after a terrifying few days with a thousand thoughts on her mind. On June 13, Ilaria Bugetti received a notice of investigation into the Florence Anti-Mafia Directorate's investigation: charges of corruption (along with entrepreneur Riccardo Matteini Bresci ).

“These have been 30 days of great suffering, for me and my family, and for the city, but we have begun and are continuing to work through criminal and administrative proceedings to convey what I believe to be the truth about my actions.”

A year ago, the triumph in Prato: a landslide victory with a wide field, the first woman to lead the city. Then the resignation, the city placed under special administration .

These have been 12 intense, beautiful, and challenging months, full of adrenaline and, at times, extremely delicate. I felt the burden and honor of that 52% vote of confidence in the first round. And I feel it even more now, in this complex moment. It's for the citizens that I will defend myself to the end, and if my defense is effective, it will help me demonstrate that their trust has not been betrayed. The messages, the encouragement, the handshakes, and the smiles help me persevere.

Is there anything you regret?

I won't go into the merits of the investigation. Politically, loving one's local area isn't a mistake, and I'll never regret it. Those who serve the public are called upon to provide answers to the community, to find viable solutions to complex needs, to listen to everyone and then seek a solution that has the common good as its sole objective.

The resignation.

"The final word was mine. I recognized that the conditions were no longer there to move forward, respecting the institutions and the citizens. None of us are glued to our seats."

The secretary of the Prato Democratic Party, Biagioni, proposed "stopping money from businesses."

I respect everyone's opinions. However, there is a state law, passed after the elimination of public funding. It guarantees transparency and oversight. If you think it's wrong, take your opposition to parliament through the party, if the party secretariat agrees with this stance.

In a year, there will be another government in Prato. Will the center-left return to power?

“That’s what I hope for.”

Who has been close to you during this period?

My family, my lifelong friends, and also many acquaintances, and I want to thank the lawyers who are at my side. I'm surrounded by all those I love and respect. Some have already convicted me without a trial, others fill the void with their political arguments, filling it with manure and venom in the belief they can win the votes they never had, and still others pass judgment out of revenge for what they asked for but didn't get. Well, I assure you, there are many more who believe in me and my innocence. It is for them that I will defend myself.

The comfort?

"Faith helps me tremendously. It strengthens my endurance and my determination to see things through. Every morning I volunteer. My commitment to others is my lifeblood."