PESCARA. The Pescara of today “is much better” than the city of 5 years ago. Mayor Carlo Masci65 years old, re-nominated with the centre-right, speaks of a city never so full of construction sites and says: «The people of Pescara will reward me, I will win again in the first round».
Why should the people of Pescara vote for you?
«First of all because they have all been able to see the continuous commitment that we have made for the city every day, both during Covid and in all the difficult situations we have experienced in recent years, we have never held back. Then, because the citizens have seen how much work we are carrying out in the city, in all the neighbourhoods, both in the center and on the outskirts, never carried out to this extent before. We want to complete them all quickly and create others. And again, for the care we have had for social issues, sport, culture and the environment, for the attention we have paid to young people. And, also, because our coalition is solid, united, with only one candidate for mayor and with common objectives. On the other side there is a totally fragmented and divided left/5star, three different candidates with conflicting programs and objectives. And then, because everyone has noticed how Pescara has reached the levels of the most advanced European cities, in terms of infrastructure, services and quality of life. We have won the Blue Flag, increased tourism, which produces wealth in our city, brought many international initiatives to Pescara, even the G7″.
There are just a few days left until the elections, what message do you want to send to citizens?
«It is right for everyone to go and vote, I urge everyone to do so, inform themselves, look at everything that has been done, do not believe in electoral fairy tales, in unattainable promises. Just look at the results obtained in these 5 years: we had the courage to do things.”
Pescara five years ago and Pescara today, is it better or worse?
«It’s much better, in all areas. Five years ago we were talking about the polluted sea, the ethnic market, food poisoning in schools, there was no public work in progress. We have achieved many objectives, after overcoming the difficult period of Covid. Investments in roads, greenery with a tree balance of 2,277 more plants, we have 45 kilometers of cycle paths (another 11 in planning and construction), we have promoted many events and created the conditions for Pescara to become a tourist destination (the balance is more 48% of tourists), increased separate waste collection exceeding 50%, we created free, inclusive and equipped beaches, we rebalanced the accounts by emerging from pre-disaster, and regenerated the municipal social housing houses”.
What is the best thing you did during your 5 years in the Municipality?
«I think the synthesis is impossible: we did great team work to achieve results that seemed unattainable. I am very proud of having protected and protected the city during Covid, of the demolition of the Horseshoe, of the 4 Blue Flags, of the redevelopment of Corso Umberto, Piazza Sacro Cuore, Corso Vittorio Emanuele and the Madonnina area, Via Croce, interventions in the suburbs and for sport, schools and kindergartens, new museums and much more. And I am very proud of the great social work with 22 thousand citizens assisted.”
If you could go back, is there one thing you wouldn’t do again?
«Let’s say that I would have preferred, with hindsight, not to have to implement the Viale Marconi project, which created too much tension. But we found the executive project: the Alessandrini council had approved it in May 2019, shortly before the elections, and we couldn’t cancel it because we would have lost the funding for sustainable mobility. Everyone must assume their own responsibilities and I take on the responsibility of having tried to improve that project, initially without success. However, given the problems, in the end we found a solution that now satisfies everyone (and which, as far as I’m concerned, will remain so)”.
A PD poll indicates a situation of uncertainty with a possible run-off: in your opinion, how will it end?
«That PD poll has the same credibility, equal to zero, as the one advertised for the regional elections also by the PD: a head-to-head between Marsilio and D’Amico was assumed, then Marsilio won by a landslide. I believe that the citizens will reward us, for the great work done, with the victory in the first round, the many smiles that I have met every day for years tell me, everyone is asking me to move forward. In any case, all the polls, even those carried out by the Democratic Party, give me an advantage between 7 and 15 points.”
