A provision that offers “the first important responses to the areas affected by floods in Emilia Romagna” and that “provides an allocation of more than 2 billion euros”. The Council of Ministers that approved the Flood Decree was recently concluded and Prime Minister Meloni presents it like this, with a live social media from the hall of Palazzo Chigi, where he receives the Governor of Emilia Romagna Stefano Bonaccini, sitting next to him. Finding many resources “in a few days is not easy”, says the prime minister, “clearly, we know that we are talking about an emergency, that there will be a reconstruction phase in which we still cannot quantify the global needs and the damage, but in the past emergency interventions worth 2 billion euros, I don’t know if they had been seen”.
At the table are ministers and a substantial delegation from the region most affected by the recent wave of bad weather, also made up of mayors, union representatives and class associations. The prime minister lists the measures contained in the decree: the “suspension of deadlines relating to taxes and social security contributions until August 31” and mortgages, “the suspension of payment of utilities by Arera”, a “fund of 20 million euros for the continuity of teaching”, flexibility for final exams and distance learning and exams at universities, “with an allocation of 3.5 million for the recovery” of university structures. The national emergency fund is then refinanced “with 200 million euros that are entirely destined for this emergency”, with the possibility of new future appropriations also with “extraordinary Lotto and SuperEnalotto draws”, explains Meloni, announcing “the redundancy fund in derogation for all workers” and a “one-off contribution until 3,000 euros for independents”: a tool, the “emergency fund for redundancies”, which the minister herself defines as “completely new, invented in a few hours to provide immediate responses”.
And then there is the temporary increase of 1 euro for museum tickets for cultural heritage, the postponement of trials in the affected areas, guaranteed salaries for civil servants who cannot go to work, 100 million euros for the compensation of farms awarded by Masaf , funds of 700 million from Farnesina for the affected export companies, 10 million for tourism and 5 million for sport, the extension of the state of emergency to all the municipalities affected by the second wave of floods, which will soon also apply to the territories of the Marches and Tuscany. Finally, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini announces “the early entry into force of the procurement code” to reduce “time and bureaucracy”.
Meloni praises the spirit of collaboration and trusts “that the confrontation will remain constant also in the second phase, that of reconstruction”. He knows that the most important match will be played there. Governor Bonaccini also underlines this: he admits that the meeting with the prime minister and the ministers “went very well”, because “we achieved much of what we asked for in this first phase of emergency, it is a very important first step”, but “after We’ll have to rebuild.” And for the reconstruction phase “a structure of commissioners, an ad hoc decree and simplified measures will be necessary” on the model of the earthquake of 11 years ago, continues the president of Emilia Romagna, who expects the appointment of a commissioner “in the short term in a few weeks.” Asked if he is going to be the commissioner, the governor ignores it – “the problem is not the name and surname but how you want to work” – however it is clear that now a confrontation will open up with the government, and within the executive itself, about that also.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is expected at the flood sites, Bonaccini announces again, “and we have already decided with the government to request the activation of the European solidarity fund. We are convinced that hundreds of millions of euros can come from the European Union”. The same commission, by the way, on Twitter says that it is ready “to provide more assistance to the Italian people in this difficult time”. An appeal for solidarity also comes from the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella: “There is a great suffering that requires a great commitment of solidarity from all of Italy – underlines the head of state – which is manifested these days”.
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.
