Lorenzo Masi, lawyer, is the mayoral candidate of the 5 Star Movement. The presentation of the lists took place a few minutes before the closing of the legal deadlines, because an agreement with the Democratic Party was sought until the last minute. Outgoing city councilor together with Roberto De Blasi, who was the candidate for mayor five years ago and now – after working hard to reach an agreement with Palagi’s left – is running as head of the list: relations between the two have become very bad in recent years.
Masi, until the end, sought an agreement with the Democratic Party, which failed at the last minute, and you present yourself split internally. Not a beautiful business card
“At a national level, the agreements between the Democratic Party and 5 Star remain. At a local level it is not possible to decline irreconcilable positions, we prefer to run together with the citizens, at the risk of appearing disunited. The Movement in the area is strong and we can go to the ballot, I say to the citizens to vote for us as better candidates, the theory of the useful vote is a deception.”
What priority for Florence?
“The problems are different and we will face them all to achieve the ultimate goal: a livable and inclusive city with a tangible increase in the quality of life, in terms of services, safety, transport, housing and public greenery. It’s all in our program”.
Tramway, complete the lines or review the system?
“We are in favor of collective mobility, but an old-fashioned infrastructure has been built in Florence. Having said that, those who propose to overturn everything are saying things that are not possible, because there are already projects financed for over a billion euros. But we can eliminate poles and cables from squares and gardens, with battery-powered trains, avoiding the cutting of trees”.
How to improve local public transport? Was privatizing Ataf a mistake?
“Local public transport must improve in terms of frequency, reliability and capillarity, throughout the metropolitan area, even at night, and free for students and those with ISEE under 15 thousand euros. Then, discounted rates for residents who use bikes and scooters in sharing. Ataf? Privatization is a huge mistake”.
Multiutility and stock market listing: is it favorable?
“No. Water must be public and remain so. We will look for the most suitable financing formula to guarantee compliance with the outcome of the referendum on public water, with solid and transparent public governance, opening up to citizen participation”.
Security, what interventions do you have in mind?
“Listening, control, intervention. Neighborhood patrols on foot, with a fixed point open 24 hours a day, seven days a week: working in the streets they will know the daily reality well and will be a point of reference for traders and a deterrent for the less honest. It is needed also strengthen the city video surveillance system and the smart city control room. Pink taxi service to protect women”.
Green shield, is it favorable?
“If it were really to protect the environment, yes. As it is done, however, instead of guaranteeing an improvement in the air, it is a sanctioning system against those who have dated cars. Florentines are tired of being sanctioned, speed cameras are enough We want more extensive pedestrian areas in all neighborhoods and a review of the ZTL, extended but better regulated.”
Traffic and parking, how to intervene? Are the underground ones useful?
“We favor parking lots to lighten the city’s burden and we improve the current underground car parks such as Parterre, station and San Lorenzo, guaranteeing healthy spaces and safety. Window decals must be at a proportional rate based on the neighborhoods chosen.”
Cycle paths and gentle mobility, his proposals
“Complete the ‘Bicipolitana’ and the network of cycle paths, ensuring capillarity, with priority given to schools. Also focus on well-marked cycle lanes and traffic calming interventions. Discounted fares for residents who use bicycle and scooter sharing”.
From nurseries to health centers, what to do on social issues?
“We need to listen more to the third sector, from which I come. Only 2 percent of children who attend Florentine schools use the school bus, while the service must be guaranteed to everyone: can you imagine how many fewer cars? And maybe even a school bus service who accompanies them to various sporting activities after school.”
What do you think of the ‘stop short-term rentals’ rule? How do you solve the housing problem?
“Many owners today are encouraged to invest in rentals for tourists instead of residents. We must increase the rent contribution for young low-income couples, guarantee discounts on Tari and Imu to those who rent to young couples or students at subsidized rates, to counter Even the phenomenon of luxury student residences requires a national regulation that regulates short-term rentals, obviously distinguishing between those who rent a room because they don’t make it to the end of the month and those who make it a real professional activity fake block”.
Are you in favor of expanding the airport?
“No, we must strengthen the Florence-Pisa railway line and protect those ‘overflown’, committing ourselves to reducing air and noise pollution, starting to improve the road system around the airport”.
In command Born in Rovezzano?
“Against. We don’t need a NATO base, we’re fine with that.”
Can the high-speed railway tunnel under Florence be stopped?
“We have expressed ourselves on several occasions on the TAV (the M5S has always been against it, ed). It is a national project authorized for a long time, what the administration can do more is carefully and promptly monitor any damage or problems that may arise on the surface and specifically on citizens’ properties, instead of telling them to get a testimonial of state and make do”.
How to conclude the stadium story?
“Together with the Viability Committee we stopped the new shopping centre. The stadium will certainly not be what I wanted, built with public money when there was a private individual who would have wanted to do it. 10 million euros were then wasted on the Padovani rugby stadium of public resources: 7 thousand seats will be created when the record number of spectators is currently around five hundred”.
The first thing he would do as mayor
“Reintroduce the budget into the neighborhoods, removed by Renzi to centralize power in Palazzo Vecchio. The Neighborhoods must be the first contact for the citizen, after all they were born for this.”
