“They make fun of Italians”. The secretary of the Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, is clear. She speaks, interviewed by Press and from Tomorrowof the right-wing government which, in this final part of the electoral campaign, is putting together spot, last-minute measures: from the social card to the fluff decree on healthcare waiting lists, to the prime minister’s trip to Albania.
“They realized they had nothing in their hands,” explains Schlein. “In a year and a half of government, the material conditions of Italians have worsened. And they have done nothing but plant ideological flags between the eyes of the most fragile people. They are trying in a clumsy and disrespectful way to describe a government action that doesn’t exist.”
“We have brought the Party back to where its people expect to find it: in the squares, in places of work or healthcare. The right has an aversion to the poor and uses campaign adverts to cover up its inability to govern.”
A nonsense decree on healthcare, but Italians don’t let themselves be fooled
The Democratic secretary reminds us that “we have been fighting for months on public health, we have presented a law asking the right to vote for it together – and in some regional councils we have done so, even where they govern – which asks to increase spending to 7.5 percent of GDP, which is the European average. And to unblock hiring to fill the departments and reduce waiting lists.” What this government did, “four days before the vote”, is “a fluff decree without a single euro. But Italians don’t let themselves be fooled.”
Because giving resources to public health, continues Secretary Schlein, “means treating even those who don’t have the money to be treated. More services for non-self-sufficient elderly people. And for people with disabilities: the government has cut 100 million.” On mental health, “students have shined a light on the dramatic shortages of staff and facilities”. The requests received for the psychologist bonus, underlines Schlein, are 400 thousand. And the resources provided by the government are sufficient to provide aid only to a range between 1 and 5%. And so, as he has been repeating for days, Schlein concludes: “The only concrete thing that Meloni has done on healthcare is a rule to allow anti-abortionists to enter the clinics, to put pressure on women and girls who try to access IVG” .
Healthcare funds? Meloni thinks back to Irpef and Albania
“I am happy to have forced Meloni to admit that there are not enough resources for healthcare,” says Schlein again, rejecting the Prime Minister’s accusation of not indicating where to find coverage. “Meloni is lying – he clarifies – I have always explained where to find the resources. They have put 4 billion on the Irpef reform, which will result in a discount of 15 euros per month on taxes. And we didn’t ask to sign the cynical agreement with Albania to transfer the migrants there, an operation that is useless and already costs 800 million. I didn’t choose to raise the white flag on the fight against tax evasion, giving up on recovering money from there. And let’s not forget the 14 billion allocated to a harmful and dangerous project like the bridge over the Strait of Messina.”
Bignami? A shameful thing. Refreshments are a right, not a favor
The message sent by Undersecretary Bignami to the flood victims of Emilia-Romagna is “a shameful thing, a political use of the institutions. After a year, they still haven’t brought the compensation to 100% as promised: they are a right, not a favor to be given in exchange for silence or political loyalty.”
A progressive turn is necessary for the Europe we want
“As a European federalist I think it is important to achieve a good result to bring about a progressive turning point within the EU, to truly be able to build the Europe we want. Then, given that on the other side we have an Italian right that has never believed in European integration, it is clear that we hope to send a strong signal to the government. Also with a view to building the alternative.”
