MESSINA – Elvira Amata, from Messina and regional councilor for Tourism, Sport and Entertainment, obtained 25 thousand preferences to the Europeans. 15,039 in the province of Messina, in the city 3,043, for Fratelli d’Italia. How do you evaluate her result, even if she was not elected?
“I am satisfied. The politics of doing, which sees the politician acting in the territory, in contact with the people, evidently pays off. Fifteen thousand preferences in the province of Messina are an important result. I doubled the votes compared to the 2022 regional elections. And on that occasion 48.81% voted. This time 37.8 percent in the Islands. There was also affirmation at a regional level. As a councilor, in this year and a half, I have managed to transform the usual words into concrete actions”.
What is the political judgment on these Europeans?
“Let’s start from the initial intention behind my candidacy: the awareness that with Giorgia Meloni Italy will change and is changing. I believe very much in this project and I wanted to give my contribution. But continuing to be a Tourism Councilor fills me with joy because I can continue with the planning that I implemented a year and a half ago.”
What project are you most proud of?
“Tourism is a key sector for Italy and Sicily, with the wealth we have. From tourism and cultural heritage to naturalistic heritage and food and wine. The first message to send to the territory was to work together, to create a system. Actions cannot be disconnected from each other. Otherwise, my commitment, both in terms of economic resources and energy, would have been useless. The participation of the administrations, the Pro loco and all the stakeholders who are part of the tourism sector is fundamental. Otherwise, the results are not achieved. We had over 17 million visitors in 2023. And we are preparing to welcome many more tourists in 2024. The Region’s participation in the Bit, the international tourism exchange, last February, was a sign of attention to the need for anticipate supply compared to demand”.
As?
“We must direct travelers to the whole of Sicily, which is all beautiful. Some destinations are better known: from Taormina to Cefalù and the Valley of the Temples. Many others are not known and remain phantom beauties. Instead, we are trying to promote knowledge of our entire territory, in the name of economic development.”
The big problem is that of services and structures suitable for tourist accommodation…
“Yes, I will put out a tender for accommodation facilities. For example, compared to luxury we have very few. Only 35 in Sicily and that’s not good. There are those who go in search of luxury. A market that needs to be strengthened by us. In particular, I will provide 135 million, by September at the latest, to allow us to modernize the reception structures, which represent the first point of reception. We are planning, in the regional commission, precisely the reform of accommodation facilities. The discussion will be resumed shortly and I hope for approval soon. Furthermore, the programming also concerns the many fairs in which we participate. I present the our Sicily together with the representatives of the territory. At Bit we invited those who deal with some routes, such as the ceramic routes. In other cases, the ways of the baroque. I involve the territories, highlighting what is particular about that destination. The traveler is not only looking for the beauty of the landscape and the sea but also wants to know the history, traditions and culture of the place. At trade fairs, we talk to tour operators and sector journalists. My presence, as a councilor who has this mission at heart, becomes even more important.”
Let’s go back to the elections. Brothers of Italy, at the European elections, in Sicily, with 20.19 percent, leaves primacy as a party to Forza Italia (23.73%). And in the Messina area the political force of Cateno De Luca dominates. In the Fratelli d’Italia province it is at 14.32% (15.83% in the 2022 elections)…
“We need to look at the national data in the meantime. Fratelli d’Italia is the first party and has exceeded expectations. We are almost at 29 percent. Our political action and the Italian government represented by our prime minister: Giorgia Meloni are rewarded. Italy will change Europe because it will present itself at the G7 with a government strengthened by the elections. Something that has not happened to the other states of the European Union. Regarding our result in Sicily, Forza Italia is becoming stronger and we are pleased. In the center-right there are serious allies, who do not question the program with which they presented themselves to the Italians. Unlike the jumble of other coalitions. In the case of Forza Italia, it must be taken into account that there was also the support of Cuffaro and Lombardo. As for us, we are proud of the result we achieved in Sicily.”
Are you weaker in the south due to some choices of the Meloni government, such as the abolition of citizenship income?
“Maybe. I am proud of the choices made immediately by Giorgia Meloni. We will have time to demonstrate that some choices, which for some categories have been judged inappropriate, will be transformed into very important actions for everyone. We do not feed need and poverty with resources. But we hope to be able to provide work. And employment has been increasing since the Meloni government took over, as Istat attests. We hope to be able to give young people the dignity represented by work. Not by one salary to keep them helpless and inert. We must value young brains. Poverty is something else and there is government support for those who experience these problems. The government has not forgotten. There may have been a small percentage less in the south, but we are very happy with the choices made. There’s no going back. It’s about our program and our ideas. If we want Italy to change, and return to being a nation that creates employment through economic development, we must work like this. In a completely different way compared to how it has been done so far.”
Have you had any conflicts with the Basile administration?
“I have never had tensions with any administration of any political colour, especially in my role as regional councilor. I like collaborating on an institutional level. And I hope that Mayor Basile will also think in this way in the common interest, in this case of the city of Messina”.
There was some tension with the mayor on the occasion of the appointments of the artistic directors at the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele by the Region…
“No I do not think so. There is no reason to have tensions.”
