“I thank all the voters who expressed their preference for me and it is a great satisfaction, even if the ballot is still another game. However, I am launching an appeal to those who voted for me, but also to those who did not, to go and vote in 10 days. I also want to thank all my candidates and those who ‘ran’ for me and are still doing so now.”
The candidate for mayor intervenes in this way Gianni Rolandofor the first time in front of the media after the first round of the administrative elections. “I give a compliment to Fulvio Fellegara for finally bringing the center-left together in Sanremo and for the result achieved. It is a very important fact for the city of flowers, given that that political faction was, in fact, absent.”
Gianni Rolando wanted to confirm his relationship with the opposition if he were elected mayor: “In particular on public water – goes on – even if it doesn’t have to be my battle or that of Fellegara. In these hours the Rivieracqua assembly has been convened for June 25th, when the new statute will be discussed, the new administration will not be able to do or say anything. A gesture that does not take into account the decisions of our municipality but, in any case, I will personally continue the battle for public water and I consider the contribution of those who think like us, Fellegara first and foremost, to be indispensable”.
Rolando returned to the topic of the University of Floriculture: “We joked about it several times – he said – but this is a bi-partisan project and, therefore, I do not exclude the possibility of going to discuss it together in Rome. The idea of the former slaughterhouse is a good idea but I don’t disdain the possibility of creating it near the Regional Institute of Floriculture, especially if there is space. However, I am open to any discussion on the matter, even with others. However, we would need two universities: after floriculture, I am also thinking of entertainment or music. However, we will need to understand the requirements necessary to set them up.”
What do you think of the change between Amadeus and Conti, after five years of the former’s reign: “He had done good festivals even if not at the level of Amadeus, which certainly had more time. What I think, however, is that the city needs to take greater ownership of the event. This doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be dialogue at a high level, but we need the certainty of the city’s involvement. Surely we will have to fight for the agreement: surely the city must bring home more money or in any case something more than what is arriving now. What is certain is that contact with Carlo Conti and Rai must begin immediately. As regards the convention, we would like both a little more money, especially for culture, and greater visibility. Surely the money that comes from the Festival must be invested in the city, even in the hamlets. An idea we have is, for example, a Milan-Sanremo museum in Poggio.”
Rolando also launches an idea to improve the areas of via Martiri, via Pietro Agosti and la Pigna: “I’m thinking of inviting the best mural artists to fresco the areas, with a competition that can also offer a prize. As far as the historic center is concerned, we should talk about it with the superintendency to create a virtuous path”.
The topic of healthcare and hospitals is also important: “We definitely have to fight in this field too. In Sanremo we have a significant percentage of elderly people, perhaps second only to some in Japan. In my opinion, the ‘Borea’, once the single hospital is finished, could become an important ‘House of Health’, while maintaining a hospital facility. And, in any case, today we have to bring back all those departments that they took from us.”
Do you have any ideas to bring to the restyling project of the old port? “It certainly needs to be done and it is fundamental for the future of the city, but it needs to be completely revised because it is not good for anyone, including the timing. We must arrive at a dialogue with the proponents and with the categories, otherwise we will face a long series of appeals”.
The hottest topic at the moment is that of the votes for the opponents in the first round: “With Fellegara I confirmed total openness and openness on programs. A constructive discussion on common themes to pursue together, including any ideas to work on.” On the dowry of votes? “Does the Democratic Party align itself with Mager? How does he do it considering that she has always mistreated him? And how can Mager, who has always declared himself civic and against political parties, accept this? I think that Fellegara has the merit of having united the center-left and, therefore, is he going to align himself with Mager? It seems like a unique ‘minestrone’ to me. I certainly won’t ‘appear’ to anyone and I wouldn’t have done so even if the opponent had been Fellegara. There is certainly great confusion among voters and, therefore, we just have to tell them what our programs are and that we are centre-right. We need consistency and, in this way, everyone votes what they think.”
Where will the votes or some of these flow from the most important dowry, i.e. 20% of Fellegara? “If we talk about ideology certainly enough but, if we take into account how the administration behaved with the Democratic Party, I think we are going towards the opposite”.
