«Not only must the South stop continuing to cry and, I add, feel sorry for itself, but the populations of the southern regions, Calabria first and foremost, must definitively take note that it is no longer tolerable to passively accept the recurrence of classes at all institutional levels policies and government incapable and inadequate to the challenge of effectively and efficiently managing the huge economic resources available”. The former mayor of Tropea, Giovanni Macrì, wrote this in a note. «I agree and reiterate the statements of the Minister for Civil Protection Nello Musumeci – he writes – on the reform of differentiated autonomy for the regions with ordinary statute, whose government-initiated bill, linked to the public finance measure, was approved in last days by the Chamber of Deputies. The former Sicilian governor Musumeci is absolutely right when he reiterates that we must compete with the North knowing that our objectives are different from those of the northern regions. And he is right when he maintains that to do this we must free ourselves from the theory of the Southern question. We must get rid of a ruling class which, as the numbers certify without appeal, is not up to the standard of the government of the South. Without ifs or buts, we need meritocracy. And differentiated autonomy can only favor this change. This is why I obviously do not agree with certain populist and demagogic declarations that are being read in recent days, even within the center-right government itself and which, as the current President of Sicily Renato Schifani has also done very well in censoring, appear at least contradictory and inconsistent with the unitary line that the entire coalition has preserved to date also on this issue. Also because there is a privileged window of observation of differentiated autonomy, diametrically opposite to that of those who have always complained about it out of ideology or, as is happening in these hours, after having approved it and therefore out of mere political opportunism”.
«And this window – writes Macrì – is that of spending or, if you prefer, the waste of public resources for the so-called tourism which in the southern regions, from the municipalities to the regions, has remained for decades a black hole with no exits and without any minimum correspondence with the results you should expect from any investment. This is where we measure a political class that instead of complaining should look in the mirror and take note of the failures produced certainly in perfect autonomy, dissipating pharaonic figures without any vision, without any planning, without any method, without comparing and measuring the results which, in effect , not only are they not there but they only certify catastrophes which however are not talked about, for which no one, at all levels, assumes any responsibility, only to then scream against the ghost of differentiated autonomy. Do you want an example? The report on the tourism trend in Italy in 2023, published in recent weeks by the Ministry of Tourism and Istat, is literally merciless and leaves no room for any different interpretation. Between 2019 and 2023, arrivals in Italian accommodation facilities grow by 3 million units (+2.3% compared to 2019), while tourist presences grow by 14.5 million (+3.3%). There are approximately 16 million more arrivals compared to 2022 (+13.4%) and over 39 million presences (+9.5%). Do you know which region, among the only 7 that have not yet fully recovered compared to 2019, recorded the worst data? Unfortunately, it is Calabria, with almost a minus 19% which would probably increase by a lot if we were to remove the positive data recorded by the Costa degli Dei, in particular between Capo Vaticano and Zambrone. Yet no one talks about it.”
According to the former mayor of Tropea «there is no debate on the topic which seems to disinterest everyone, from the media to the institutional representatives of all the political parties who are perhaps divided on the sex of angels or on something else which however we are not aware of. So, let’s do nothing but cry and complain about differentiated autonomy! The question for everyone to ask would be this: in recent years, how much has been spent by public institutions, with the Calabria Region leading the way? There are no reports. No account is taken of the expense. Errors are not analyzed. We don’t talk about the tenders that aren’t made or the delays in the results of the few that reach completion. Are there medium and long term strategies to discuss? Are there content, communication and marketing plans worthy of the name? You just spend it. To no avail. Just as the merciless law of numbers rules, like it or not. And therefore, for whom and for what purpose does it serve to fuel the bogeyman of differentiated autonomy if, more or less, in the South either it is not possible to spend the huge resources allocated by the State and the European Union or those that are spent do not produce results but losses continuous? We can no longer afford government classes that are unsuitable for the role. And until we understand and start from here, we will only continue to feel sorry for ourselves, suffering as is normal and in spite of historical gaps whose progressive overcoming we ourselves must know how to govern, the competitive capacity of other Italian and European territories and regions ».
