ROME A lightning council of ministers this morning to decree a state of emergency in the flooded regions. And to release a tranche of aid worth 20 million to meet “the first needs” and restore essential services in the municipalities of Romagna hit by bad weather.
With “further allocations” which, it is reassured, will be made available “upon the outcome of the reconnaissance following the emergency”. While the controversy and the passing of responsibilities between the Region and the executive (and therefore between the centre-left and the centre-right) continue, the government is taking action. Yesterday morning Giorgia Meloni chaired an emergency video call meeting with the acting president of Emilia, Irene Priolo.
Emilia Romagna, inspections in flooded areas: search for 2 missing
Which has requested the declaration of a state of emergency, as has also been done by the Marche. The prime minister, Palazzo Chigi reports, “reiterated the government’s solidarity with the affected population” (thus implicitly responding to Priolo’s finger-pointing a few hours earlier: “Meloni didn’t call me, Mattarella did”). Also present with Meloni to take stock of the situation of the displaced and the progress of the relief efforts were the head of the Civil Protection Fabio Ciciliano, the undersecretaries of the executive and of the Region Alfredo Mantovano and Davide Baruffi, the extraordinary commissioner for reconstruction Francesco Paolo Figliuolo and the minister Nello Musumeci. The latter is still the protagonist of a bitter exchange with the opposition.
THE OBLIGATION
And not just for a proposal that is immediately shot down by the Democratic Party, that of mandatory home insurance against the risk of natural disasters. The idea, explains the head of Civil Protection, is already in the Reconstruction decree: “We haven’t talked about obligation yet but we will move towards this conclusion”, he announces. And he already anticipates criticism of a “new wealth tax”: “Is it more useful to protect the real estate market or the asset of one’s own life and that of one’s loved ones?”. The point, in any case, should not be included among those on the agenda of today’s Council of Ministers (after all, Musumeci had already relaunched the proposal, so far not materialized, also in the aftermath of the bradyseism emergency in Campi Flegrei). The Democrats, however, are going on the attack: “But is he talking to the insurers who should guarantee buildings in seismic areas or subject to extreme natural phenomena?”, asks the group leader Chiara Braga. What has sparked the anger of the Democratic Party, however, is above all another statement by the minister. The attack on the funding received by the Region to combat the disaster: “Six hundred million in ten years to secure the territory. If every time it rains in Emilia Romagna there is chaos, something is wrong”, sounds the attack. Which is followed by the defense of Figliuolo’s work: “He is not the one who has to build the overflow basins, that is ordinary maintenance”, observes Musumeci. Translated: a task that falls to the Region. Words that President Priolo sends back to the sender: “Don’t take ours as an inefficient Region, I’m not having it”. Then she counterattacks: “Why all this attention only on Emilia and not on Marche?”. The suspicion of the Democrats, in short, is that Romagna is being made a political case in view of the autumn Regionals, where the center-left is given a strong advantage. “Only jackals create controversy while there is an emergency”, thunders again the secretary of the Democratic Party Elly Schlein. Former governor Bonaccini also thinks so: «It is shameful to attack local administrators while there is an emergency. They are trying to gain a few votes». Then he goes back to the compensation for the flood last November «which never arrived»: «Why didn’t they make me or someone from the Region a commissioner? Musumeci should ask Figliuolo how many projects of the commissioner structure have been completed. All of the Region’s». Counter-reply from the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Galeazzo Bignami, of FdI: «The plan against hydrogeological instability? It is true that it is missing, Bonaccini should have done it».
CROSS ACCUSATIONS
A crescendo of accusations that does not seem destined to stop any time soon. And which shows how the climate, net of the emergency, is already one of an election campaign. Here is Forza Italia’s Maurizio Gasparri: «Rather than argue, the Region should clarify the expenses. Perhaps the left could have used more funds». On the Cinquestelle front, meanwhile, Giuseppe Conte telephones the mayor of Faenza Massimo Isola. And calls for unity: «Let’s avoid dividing ourselves in arguments in these hours». While Matteo Renzi turns to Prime Minister Meloni: «Rebuild the mission unit against the hydrogeological instability of Italia Sicura. The protection of the territory is not an issue for the right or the left». Even if, on the controversy, neither of the two seems to have any intention of giving up.
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