The new mayors
Today’s protagonist of the column “The new mayors” is Ilaria Bugetti, the first mayor of Prato
With 52.2% of the votes, Ilaria Bugetti of the Democratic Party was elected first mayor of Prato. An important result obtained in the first round at the helm of a centre-left coalition with the presence of the 5 Star Movement. Almost 43 thousand people from Prato placed their trust in Bugetti and her political project for the post-Biffoni era. A project that combines the care of small things and hamlets with large national projects that can attract European resources to make Europe’s largest textile district more competitive, to strengthen circular economy projects and to improve production processes. integration among the many foreign communities present in the city.
Bugetti’s approach is the result of her political experience: ten years mayor of Cantagallo, in the province of Prato, eight years regional councilor and since 2016 regional secretary of Aiccre of which since 2023 she has also been president of the national council. Important gyms for understanding how to respond to the specific needs of citizens and territories, but also for working on ambitious projects, also the result of collaborations between entities or between different institutional levels, which allow us to leave our mark on the administrative policies of the city.
For this reason, one of the strong points of his program is the Eir office, Europe-Italy-Region, strengthening the Municipality’s Europe desk: “There are issues – states Bugetti – that affect the functioning of our companies. So having a direct connection with Brussels is essential. That of the Municipality is a fundamental coordination role. Having a strong control room is a strategic factor for strengthening the Prato brand. At the same time it is important to pay attention to fractions. We will do it with a dedicated councilor and a periodic listening point.”
Another important challenge to overcome concerns the Pnrr. With 50 of its own projects and an investment of 74.6 million euros in sports, mobility, maintenance, digitalisation and schools, Prato is among the most active and virtuous Italian municipalities. All the deadlines of the roadmap imposed by Europe to avoid losing the funds are respected. “Results and efforts of the municipal offices that the government has decided to punish, rather than reward, by cutting almost 600 thousand euros in current spending. – states Bugetti – the central State places its inefficiencies and its inability to balance the accounts on local authorities. It is unacceptable because it means taking away essential funds to help those in difficulty, already penalized by cuts to the rent fund and delays in the provision of compensation for the floods. A battle that will see me involved immediately and for which I will ask for the help of all the parliamentarians in the area.”
In this sense, the support of Anci will also be fundamental: “The association is an important interlocutor because it represents all the Municipalities, even those of the same political color as the government. Faced with these unfair cuts we are all on the same level. We must remain united.”
