Pisa, 9th January 2019. As widely discussed and documented, the purpose of founding a Southern Scuola Normale has always been part of my mandate. This Scuola was then meant to stand entirely on its own two feet and be autonomous: the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa was simply to be the best “incubator” possible. The law approved in the Camera did not correspond exactly to this project, but, above all, the final version approved last December 30 represents a complete distortion of the initial idea, making it seem like yet another local Scuola, a subsidiary of a parent university without any autonomy. If we add to these aspects the strong internal dissent that has unfortunately developed regarding this and other key elements of my mandate, it is clear that my resignation as Director is inevitable, as I have always maintained: I am not and could never be a Director who does not try to fulfil the mandate for which he was elected. As further confirmation of this assumption, I would just like to point out that the motion of no confidence in the director was introduced by me for the first time in the Statute of the Scuola. While I cannot help but notice an unusual acceleration in general dissatisfaction (moreover during my absence due to illness) I present my irrevocable and immediate resignation as Director of the Scuola Normale Superiore. (Vincenzo Barone)