The disasters in Emilia Romagna draw attention to solidarity and the need for reconstruction, which involve both the center and the periphery of the “state machine”. Pierluigi Biondi, mayor of L’Aquila and head of the Fratelli d’Italia local authorities department, spoke about this in a discussion with Il Tempo.
Mayor, regarding the events in Emilia-Romagna, the president of the Bonaccini region spoke of damage comparable to that of earthquakes. From the point of view of the “L’Aquila model”, what are the priority actions to be carried out?
“The actions we focused on in L’Aquila after the earthquake were aimed at giving immediate shelter to the displaced, preventing depopulation, supporting the economy. In the face of emergencies of this magnitude, priorities such as these are common to different territories and regardless of their nature. Once the first emergency has been overcome, reconstruction must begin immediately, starting with the houses but without ever neglecting the productive and social fabric that not only represents the livelihood of the community, but also the reason for remaining. In this sense, fighting depopulation also means never giving up essential services such as education, training and health”.
How can and should the center and the periphery collaborate, that is, the Government and the Region?
“Interinstitutional dialogue is essential and we have never lacked it. At times we were obliged to use particular firmness – to the point of demonstrating in the square or going on a hunger strike as in my case, as the mayor of a small town that I was at the time – in relation to the governments that followed one another, but in the end we always manage to assert our reasons. Political times have changed, but also thanks to these battles we have built a solid institutional architecture that survives governments and today is a true good practice to be replicated and taken as an example. In this regard, I believe that the words of President Meloni, like those of President Bonaccini, are indicative of a mutual respect that, in the face of tragedies, must prevail over the parties to which they belong ».
What are the economic resources to be employed and under what conditions is it best to take advantage of them?
“Each time we are forced to face an emergency, the most thorny issue is precisely that of the funds needed to face it. I believe that the State has the opportunity to provide answers without having to resort to Pnrr resources, which we must make more conscious use of. The real problem is that – as Ispra says – in twenty years our country has managed to carry out only half of the projects financed for the reduction of hydrogeological risk. 12 governments alternated, maybe too many and maybe that’s exactly the problem”.
Are there useful reforms for the operation of the “state machine” from the center to local administrations?
“Just as in 1993, when the law of direct election of mayors was passed, which finally guaranteed stability at all peripheral levels of government, today the nation needs some structural reforms that will allow it to be able to act quickly and resolve, even in the case of natural disasters. As the princely in the electoral system. Semi-presidentialism or premiership, as long as a balance is achieved that allows working, with the full mandate of the citizens and not betraying the will of the ballot box, leaving room for majorities built at the table, inside the classrooms. Since 1993 alone, the Republic reached an agreement with 19 prime ministers, who followed each other in 9 legislatures. This discrepancy prevented Italy from gaining authority, condemning it to distrust, not only in international relations, but also with the Italians themselves. To those who contest the emergence of a figure of a solitary leader in command, I would like to remind that this would be generated by direct popular election, an expression of maximum sovereignty, a principle enshrined in the Constitution, and that it was precisely the 1993 Parliament that established that the maximum administration, first municipal and provincial, then regional, was directly identified by voters. This reform, within a broader administrative revolution that, in those years, opted to privilege the citizen and his right to information, offered the possibility of expressing a direct, clear and incontestable judgment, which only the vote could have sustained. It is this temporal horizon, the detention of majorities, that allows the realization of a vision and only this can in the end be appreciated or not, in the paths of democracy”.
Source: IL Tempo

Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.