A year on a roller coaster, first the election as mayor of Aprilia, then the risk of bankruptcy for the Municipality avoided at the last minute. For Lanfranco Principi these 12 months have been a roller coaster, this first milestone is therefore the moment to draw an analysis of what has been done, to illustrate future projects and send some messages to opponents and allies.
What is your assessment of this first year of administrative activity?
«It was intense, demanding but equally exciting. Holding the role of mayor is a totally different world compared to positions such as councillor, councilor and vice mayor. But I think the balance is positive.”
Is there a provision that you are particularly proud of? Is it a mistake you wouldn’t repeat?
«A provision that I am proud of but which cost the city a lot by stopping the administrative machine was the settlement agreement for the expropriation of the park in Via dei Mille. The final result was excellent but many don’t know the background, today we celebrate 12 months of council but for a few months that negotiation stopped everyone. The fear of financial collapse has created confusion and the delays in the budget and the management report are linked to that matter. We were on the edge of a ravine, having averted the collapse made the car start again. However, I have certainly made mistakes, perhaps many but it is natural when governing, but I cannot point to one in particular.».
A year later, would anything change in the council? Would you distribute delegations differently?
«No, in my opinion each member of the Council has the requirements and abilities for the role that has been assigned to him. I believe I made good choices, even if I had to sacrifice the council group. Well, if I have to find the nitpick I can say that by having a qualified and experienced council I have penalized the city council a bit, where besides Vincenzo La Pegna at the moment there are no other leading figures like him. But I’m convinced it’s just a question of experience, there are many new faces in the room who with the passage of time will demonstrate that they are up to the role they hold».
Sports facilities chapter: when will the stadium reopen and when will the arena be inaugurated?
«That of the Quinto Ricci stadium is one of the events that we faced immediately, finding an almost dramatic situation. And I believe that the work done was excellent, given that we managed to bring three sporting realities together in the facility. When we closed the agreement they hoped to publish the tender for the award of the stadium first, but that didn’t happen but we are working on it and it will be ready in a few months. For the building, however, we are almost closing, the company is ready to deliver it and there will be a tender for the assignment shortly».
On the topic of waste, have you had discussions with the Lazio Region on the location of the landfill, given that President Rocca spoke of inspections already carried out?
«Rocca’s latest statements do not add anything new compared to what was said in the past. And I remember well, because I was deputy mayor, that already in recent years with the previous regional administration led by Nicola Zingaretti there was an attempt to close the waste cycle in Aprilia. Some people pretend to forget that the centre-left Region appointed an extraordinary commissioner for waste who indicated Aprilia as one of the three sites suitable to host the landfill. And today the Region inherited by Rocca follows the trail traced by his predecessors; in his declarations the current president does not indicate the city. There is no point in hiding, the regional plan provides for three plants for the provinces of Latina, Frosinone and Rome but I believe I have done more to combat the landfill than the previous administration. I remember that in the City Council we approved a landscape bond for the protection of the Roman countryside which the opposition did not vote for. We will implement all the counteractions that a Municipality can activate, but it is clear that the Region will decide».
UOne of your plans is to bring the University to the city. But don’t you think that Il Tulipano is too small to accommodate you? Isn’t a larger space like the Campoverde Fair area better?
«I started discussions with the University of Roma Tre to bring a chemical-pharmaceutical course, illustrating to the Rector our idea which is linked to the industrial center of the area. It’s not me who has to say whether the location is suitable or not, it will be the University, after we have shown them a visit to the former Tulipano centre, that will tell us if it is possible to hold the courses in that space. However, I don’t believe it is possible to bring the university into the Fair Body, because this would mean sacrificing a space that within a year will be redeveloped and attractive not only for the Agricultural Exhibition but also for other events. The first objective, however, is to try to establish the University in Aprilia».
Dreambook promises, amateurs in the fray, little impact on security: these are some of the opposition’s criticisms. Will we meet again?
«We have always sent the term “amateurs in jeopardy” back to the sender, because very often they refer to some spelling error or to trivial issues, while instead it seems to me that on important issues we have shown that we are anything but amateurs. On safety, thanks to the constant meetings in Latina with the Prefect and representatives of the police force, we obtained control initiatives that were already planned but which in principle were not for Aprilia, such as Alto Impatto which was designed for the provincial capitals . I consider the extraordinary joint checks an important result, if the minority did not appreciate it it is perhaps because they did not think we would be able to obtain them».
What stage are we at with the Police Commissariat?
«The works are proceeding quickly, a few weeks ago I met the old Police Commissioner of Latina who showed regret for not being able to inaugurate the Police station, his successor (Fausto Vinci) will do it and we are confident that the Commissariat will be inaugurated by 2024».
On the water compared to the electoral campaign you made a 360 degree turn, entering the presidential office of Egato4 and then proving decisive for the election of the new Board of Directors. Are you convinced that this choice will pay off?
«I am of the opinion that whatever the game is, it must be played. Then he can come out the winner or not, but you have to play. The last 14 years of hostility towards water service management have brought zero in terms of political results. Therefore I took this initiative, even though it cost me a lot, but with each passing day I am more and more convinced that I made the right choice. And I say this with pride. A change of pace can only bring benefits to the city, it certainly cannot be worse than what we have achieved in recent years. And above all in the election of the Board of Directors we demonstrated that we know how to play an important game, being among the main players. And many recognize this merit in us, applauding the space that Aprilia has been able to carve out for itself at a provincial and regional level».
This move is said to have damaged relations with Claudio Fazzone and Forza Italia. Have you done any stitching in recent weeks?
«I have always tried to convey a message to my fellow mayors, namely that the Board of Directors should be decided by the circuit of first citizens. I have never hidden my dissatisfaction with the previous governance of Acqualatina. Therefore I went to the meeting and voted according to my conscience, also thanks to the fact that I had read all the CVs of the aspiring members of the Board of Directors. I voted for the people I considered most deserving, who can make a change for the company. If Senator Fazzone wasn’t of the same opinion as me, if someone didn’t like my autonomy, I’m sorry, but I haven’t argued with anyone. I have always thought about trying to do something positive for my city».
This year was characterized by some internal frictions such as the clash (later resolved) between FdI and the councilor Boi and the changes in the Council in the League. Will the majority be able to hold on and last five years?
«It’s true, there have been frictions linked to internal problems and perhaps there will be in the future, as there always have been, even in the civic coalition, but I categorically exclude that this could destabilize the majority by putting the mandate at risk before its natural expiry. Then in politics you never know, Santangelo for example fell (it was 2009) at the moment in which he felt most secure, that’s in which case he fell with some amateurs in the fray in the center-right, in fact I didn’t go to sign, because that historical moment determined the fall of the centre-right, effectively handing the city over to civicism which then governed for 14 years with all the pros and cons of the civic lists».
