Autonomy. Veneto against Sardinia. For Zaia it is a “historic day”, Todde: “a shame”

“A historic page” for the president of the Veneto Region, but his “colleague” from Sardinia is already on a war footing. North and South divided on the reform approved today in Parliament

by Vittorio di Mambro and Andrea Piana

ROME – “A historical page” for the president of the Veneto Region Luca Zaiawhich summons the press to the capital to mark the implementation just achieved by Lega – pardon the government and the majority – of the bill ondifferentiated autonomy. Beyond the Tyrrhenian Sea, however, the “colleague” Alessandra Todde, president of the Sardinia Region, it is already on a war footing and is calling on the other southern regions to “prevent this massacre”. But he is also preparing for a solo battle, with all possible means.

ZAIA: “NO SECESSION OF THE RICH, OPPORTUNITIES FROM NORTH TO SOUTH“

“A historic page has been written for the country and it was right to pass it through Parliament. Let’s talk about one historic opportunity from North to South, and indeed it is even more of an opportunity for the Regions in difficulty because the growth margin of these Regions will be rewarded by the de-bureaucratization and elimination of the office complicating simple affairs which is carried out by this reform”. The president of the said it Veneto region, Luca Zaia in the press conference convened in the Roman headquarters of the organization following the approval of the bill on differentiated autonomy.

“It is not the secession of the rich: a Region can request one or more of the 23 subjects, and the State transfers both the competence and the financial commitment. Nothing is stolen from anyone, and also there will be coupons: a review of the model to understand whether the autonomy worked or not, a review that will be a strategic tool”.

“With this reform national unity is not undermined because it is a very light autonomy model compared to other countries in Europe, such as Germany for example. When the Constitutions in our two countries were written after the war they were both authentically federalist, as Einaudi also said”. The Northern League governor continues: “Italy is spoken of as a two-speed country, and this is the result of centralism and certainly not of autonomy. Those who attack autonomy on this point – underlined Zaia – are complaining about the medicine that cures you while defending the disease: we must recover the spirit of the founding fathers and invest a lot in speaking and informing citizens more about the true project of autonomy, and not about the urban legends that are spreading”.

ZAIA “EPOCAL REFORM, THANKS TO CALDEROLI, MELONS AND SALVINI”

“I thank those who supported, voted and allowed this process to take place: the Minister Calderolithe entire majority who supported this project even in a sharp and harsh debate, the president Melonsthe League And Matteo Salvini because otherwise, if we hadn’t believed in it right from the start, this epochal reform wouldn’t have happened.” Finally, the governor of Veneto reviews the thanks which go primarily to the Minister for Regional Affairs and Autonomy, then to the Prime Minister, the League and its secretary. “I heard from Salvini and Meloni – he concludes – it was a good result after years of work: the arrival point of a very long journey”.

TODDE: “THE CALDEROLI REFORM IS A SHAME, WE WILL OPPOSE IT IN EVERY FORCE”

“Differentiated autonomy is a shame, I want to say this very clearly. It is a plan that undermines the prerogatives of Sardinia: after the approval of the Calderoli reform our island is absolutely less special“. The tones are very different president of the Sardinia Region, Alessandra Toddespeaking to reporters on the sidelines of the council meeting called this morning at Villa Devoto.

TODDE: “WITH THE SOUTH AGAINST THE DESCRIPTION, BUT ALSO READY TO ACT ALONE”

“We will liaise with the other regions of the south to prevent this massacre – announces Todde – but I don’t rule out carrying out measures autonomously, taking advantage of our specialty. I believe it is important to get away from the logic of demonstrating and that’s it, now is the time for concrete actions.” The governor then lets the governor know: “We have already spoken with the general secretary and with the regional attorney’s office, we will reserve the right to implement all possible tools – in all locations – to try to oppose this plan. The Consultation? Let’s see, it’s one possibility but there are others too.”

TODDE: “A MECHANISM IS INTRODUCED IN FAVOR OF THE RICHEST REGIONS”

The Regions with special Statute “are such because they have been historically recognized as realities that had particular prerogatives – Todde recalls – the fact of being able to discuss the matters of competence ‘a la carte’, independently of the financial resources of the Regions, is an mechanism that rewards exclusively the richest regions. Also because it seems to me that the minister Roberto Calderoli, when it comes to talking about financial resources, is a bit reticent”. According to Calderoli “autonomy is fine, but we never talk about how it is covered, how the regions are given the opportunity to also be able to exercise their own prerogatives – explains Todde – We in Sardinia have an issue linked to an infrastructural gap, a gap related to education, a health gap that we must fill. And now we also have the further problem of having to compete with regions that over the years have become – thanks also to our contributions, thanks to the taxes of all Italian citizens – richer than us”.

TODDE: “REGIONS WITH SPECIAL STATUTES HAPPY? LIE, WE WILL BE WATER DOWN”

This, insists the governor, “is not tolerable: we will move with all possible tools to support our prerogatives and maintain the specialty. I also want to get away from the logic that the Regions with special statutes should be happy with differentiated autonomy: it’s a lie. We will be watered down, I want this concept to be understood very well, it is an attack especially on Sardinia.” From today, Todde warns, “we will no longer be just peripheral, we will no longer be just an island, but we will be poorer and we will have to compete with all the other regions for a container – the public budget – which does not multiply as some would like, but which has well-defined and allocated resources”. Sardinia, Todde concludes, “is not part of Italy only when taxes have to be paid. This is the secession of the rich, and we cannot tolerate it.”