On an official visit, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis met at the Palazzo delle Orsoline in 
Lugano the Grand Council of the Republic and Canton Ticino, in a setting that saw the participation of the heads of the legislative power and the Council of State. The meeting represented a formal but intense opportunity for discussion between the cantonal and federal levels.
Cassis' arrival, welcomed by the President of the Grand Council Michele Guerra, was marked by a brief greeting to the press and official introductions with the various components of the Ticino parliament. Also present, among others, were the President of the Council of State Christian Vitta and numerous deputies representing all the main political parties.
The had an operational cut and allowed for a frank dialogue on important dossiers that touch on the present and future of relations between Ticino and Bern. Among the topics at the top of the agenda are relations with the European Union, the Confederation's financial recovery package, the dynamics of financial equalization and questions related to duties. All areas that, although they touch the entire national territory, have a particular value for Ticino, given its geographical position and its role as a bridge with Italy.
There was no shortage of references to cross-border mobility, the balance between economic development and social sustainability, and the strengthening of Ticino's role in the Confederation's foreign policies. In this sense, Cassis underlined the strategic importance of the Canton within Switzerland, reiterating the Federal Council's intention to strengthen its attention to local specificities.
Michele Guerra, in his speech, instead emphasized the need to maintain a constant channel of dialogue with Bern, capable of overcoming institutional barriers and responding in a coordinated manner to common challenges. "Only through a direct comparison - he declared - can we guarantee effective responses to the needs of Ticino citizens and enhance our role at the national and international level".
At the discussion table, in addition to Cassis, Guerra and Vitta, there were Fabio Schnellmann, first vice president of the Grand Council, and a varied representation of deputies: Matteo Quadranti (PLR), Maurizio Agustoni (Il Centro), Stefano Tonini (Lega), Tuto Rossi (UDC), Matteo Buzzi (The Greens), Evaristo Roncelli (Avanti con Ticino e Lavoro), Tamara Merlo (Più Donne), Massimo Mobiglia (PVL/Young Green Liberals), Massimiliano Ay (Communist Party), Roberto Ostinelli (HelvEthica Ticino). Completing the delegation, the personal advisor of the federal councilor Anna Fazioli, the general secretary of the Grand Council Tiziano Veronelli and the legal advisor Roberto Di Bartolomeo.
The duration of the meeting – over two hours – and the constructive tone of the interventions confirm a climate of institutional collaboration that aims to consolidate over time. The visit, which follows a tradition of dialogue between cantonal and federal authorities, concluded with the common intention of addressing the open dossiers in a coordinated manner and of laying new foundations for strengthened cooperation.
