European Championships, Iannini (Forza Italia): “Abruzzo and Molise together again, a project to be developed seriously”

“Abruzzo and Molise together again is not a provocation or even a far-fetched idea: it is an important project to be developed with scruple, seriousness and sensitivity”. This is what Eliseo Iannini, an entrepreneur from L’Aquila in the construction and metalworking sector, says, candidate for Forza Italia in the upcoming European elections, Southern Italy constituency. Listening to the territory, Iannini put on the agenda the reunification of the two regions, which were divided in 1963. “As a native of L’Aquila and Abruzzo, I know this story well. The fact that in Isernia they have started a collection of signatures with the aim of calling a referendum to unite the entire province with Abruzzo is symptomatic of a thought that has taken root in a part of the population – he explains -. A thought that also spreads to other areas of Molise. Beyond the legal aspects, the words to best use to avoid misunderstandings, I believe that politics is called to address the matter by keeping a high profile and with a constructive spirit. Let’s start with the numbers: Abruzzo is a sparsely inhabited region, it has just over 1,270,000 residents, and in recent years it has rediscovered the problem of emigration, especially of young people. Molise has just 290 thousand residents and is at least as haunted as Abruzzo by the issue of emigration. Furthermore, both regions have the greatest critical issues in the internal areas, despite the undeniable scenic beauty and the potential linked to tourism, even the so-called return tourism, i.e. those from Molise and Abruzzo who have left for work reasons but are still linked to their Earth. Together, Abruzzo and Molise would have a higher specific weight, that of almost 1,600 thousand inhabitants, therefore more than the Marche and Liguria, to be weighed by Rome and to be exploited to the fullest as a macro-region hinge between northern and southern Italy, a bridge ideal from here to the Balkans. There are three virtuous examples to keep in mind: Emilia Romagna, Trentino Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia. Furthermore, there is no exacerbated rivalry between the people of Molise and Abruzzo and, even if the bell tower will tend to have greater weight as the project progresses, it cannot represent a real problem – continues the architect who “the experience Abruzzo of New Pescara, which by uniting Pescara, Montesilvano and Spoltore represents the most important merger of municipalities in Europe, is one of the many points of reference in terms of aggregation”. “Molise and Abruzzo together, I repeat, is an important project to be developed with care and sensitivity, starting from dialogue with people, given that the push came from them – he concludes.