She has always worked as a municipal employee (she is now employed in the Municipality of Giussago), then, a year and a half ago, the turning point with the appointment as Councilor for Education of the Municipality of Pavia where she arrived to succeed Alessandro Cantoni, resigned because he had in the meantime become a regional councilor. Now it almost seems that the roles are reversed: Cantoni is running for the mayor’s seat at Palazzo Mezzabarba and Valsini has decided to support him by running: “A choice, mine, not as obvious as one might think. I wasn’t determined to run, but when I learned that Alessandro Cantoni’s name had made everyone agree, then I decided. We belong to the same political group, a civic list in which I believe, and also for this reason we have a similar vision”. As mentioned, Valsini had “inherited” the Department of Education from Cantoni: “Whoever preceded me had done an excellent job – clarifies Valsini -. My intent was to complete, maintain, strengthen and consolidate what had already been done and I also had the opportunity to add something of my own. A valuable experience from several points of view, which also allowed me to understand what the critical issues of the outgoing administration were: right from the start I noticed the total lack of both internal and external communication, an element that certainly did not facilitate the Work. Several new and important things have been done but there are still elements to correct. This, however, allows us to know from the start what the critical issues are and what needs to be corrected and this is no small advantage. Personally, I don’t have a real political curriculum but by working with municipal administrations all my life, I have understood that what makes the difference is the person beyond the political spectrum. I am part of a civic list by choice and I am of the opinion that people often engage in politics unconsciously, with different daily choices. This is my idea of politics: everyday choices, if considered, can do the good of the community.” In short, for Chiara Valsini politics is also an … ideal (as the name of the civic group to which she belongs and which, in the Lombard version, supports Governor Fontana recalls): “Doing politics does not mean declaring yourself belonging to a party. Many times political currents influence choices and for us, as a civic list, this cannot happen. We have created a very respectable reputation: it is therefore no coincidence, in my opinion, that the mayoral candidate who brought them all together comes from our group and not from a large party formation. For the same reason I could list the beautiful and good ideas that our group brings forward but I think that is not the case: by now we know what we want to do in Pavia and in my opinion it should instead be reiterated that what makes the difference is the way and the group. I have full trust in Alessandro Cantoni, he has the determination necessary to balance a hypothetical council and a great ability to listen, as well as good experience; I think we need a team that works well and with cohesion. That’s why I applied: I think I can team up with him and I’m happy to give my contribution.” Finally, the balance sheet of his department, which in a year and a half Valsini has been able to get to know in depth: “We have faced five years that were not easy, also considering the Covid of 2020. Every day we start a hundred teachers (not counting the substitutes) , more than 3,500 meals a day (with 600 special diets) and teacher replacements; ordinary management and smooth functioning are not a given. And the two schools given over to management that have caused so much talk are doing very well: they have been entrusted externally but the owner is still the Municipality, the enrollments are the same, the pedagogical program is that of the municipal schools, the parents are calm and the environments have been redeveloped. The teachers, those remaining after retirement, have been relocated and several of them in improved situations. Therefore, it seems to me that the department has done a good job.”
Simona Rapparelli
