BOLOGNA He starts with a long round of applause Romano Prodi the RepIdee meeting dedicated to his wife Flavia Franzoni. “A bench for Flavia” with Marisa Anconelli And Paolo Zurlawith Giovanni Egidio. «I owe a lot to Flavia» begins the professor. «Thanks to Repubblica for this memory. And thanks to Marisa and Paolo, who have collaborated with Flavia for a long time. The title “A bench for dialogue” describes her character well. Because the meanings of the bench are equality and comparison.”
The teacher was the first to intervene and was moved Marisa Anconelli who admits: «If Romano owes a lot to Flavia, I owe her a lot». Then she takes up the concept of the bench to explain it with Franzoni’s words. «If there is no bench under the house to create community, even structured services will be less effective. I used to make fun of her and yet today I’m here talking about it. Indeed, the metaphor is truly effective in explaining social and community welfare.”
The professor Paolo Zurla instead she talks about Franzoni’s course of studies: «She graduated in Political Science in 1971. I met her in 1975 within “Ires”. In 1977 you began working for the magazine “Local autonomies and social services”. For many years she was the only woman in management.”
«One thing that Flavia taught me – Anconelli returns – was not to be catastrophic. Never give up. For her it was necessary to build with what was available.” Zurla remembers Romano Prodi’s years in politics and the reflections on his wife’s life. «Flavia tried as much as possible to remain herself. However, it was the others who had changed towards her. She once told me, happily, that she had found a back door to exit Palazzo Chigi. Not to be seen. She then gave up. She wasn’t interested in fashion shows like those at the G7 these days. She rather went to visit professional communities involved in welfare or to seminars on health systems. She was a curious, intelligent person. She chose not to pursue a university career, so as not to be ‘her wife’.”
“I always had the impression that he was very patient,” he also intervenes Giovanni Egidio. «Yes, she was – Anconelli replies – I often tried to make her say frivolous things, but she was serious, gentle. She didn’t get very angry, but when she was convinced of something she became exhausting.”
At the end Romano Prodi takes the microphone again: «Say that Flavia was always optimistic. Lately it often happened that she would take me back. She said: ‘Romano you are becoming pessimistic. Careful’. Then you said that she was patient. He was, but not just because he dealt with welfare. She was patient because she was my wife.”
