While the others gallop, north-eastern Calabria, in the absence of vision, planning and prospects, continues to trudge. It is the observation of a harsh and pure reality, which can be interpreted in different ways but it remains this. Especially in Corigliano-Rossano which is the city that should act as a beacon for the entire Sibaritide-Pollino area and instead finds itself forced to play catch-up. The sad thing is that in this story, as written now, there is no one who can be said to be exempt from responsibility. Starting from the absence of active and aware citizenship and ending with the political class – all of it – which in the last half century has done everything to remain incredibly stagnant.
The most recent decision of the Municipality of Corigliano-Rossano to appeal to none other than the President of the Republic against the choice of the Port Authority of Gioia Tauro to establish a metalworking production center within the Port, risks – in reality – having devastating consequences . Nuova Pignone Baker Hughes, a company willing to invest 60 million euros to create almost 200 jobs, could soon decide to abandon the project and seek fortune elsewhere. This too is not a pessimistic view of things but an analysis of reality.
The truth is that the American company cannot even be accused of wanting to speculate because all the persuasive and interlocutory work of these days to convince Nuovo Pignone BH to “move” to the hinterland instead of staying in the port, finds no logical foundation. The company has been clear: it does not want to make a new investment in Calabria, it wants to invest in a port where it can assemble its mega-components to transfer them to the clients’ sites. Period. The first choice was the port of Corigliano-Rossano, partially used compared to its infinite potential and practically undersized. If this solution is not possible, it is clear that Nuovo Pignone BH will go elsewhere or nowhere. It will certainly not get involved in territorial disputes that, in fact, do not concern them.
Now, one can accept the legitimate concern of not wanting to open harmful precedents for the future of the port, and appreciate the reasons that pushed Mayor Flavio Stasi to appeal against the industrial settlement on the docks. On the contrary, however, the total absence of prospects, long-term visions and concrete planning for the future of the port and the entire territory is not acceptable.
Today American investors have arrived looking for opportunities within the dock. And tomorrow? Who will arrive? It could be the Arabs who explore the potential of the mountain or it could be the State once again proposing public works as already happened with the new state road 106, where some objections to the project arose precisely because of the profound ignorance of the ruling class which in recent He governed the territory for 50 years (by the way, the hydrogeological constraints that today do not allow the construction of a tunnel were not put in place by Anas, not even the State and the then Municipality of Corigliano was unable to oppose this decision).
Then, if we continue to remain without strategies, we will once again find ourselves disorganized, unprepared, trapped in a condition of closure and entrenchment.
We must bitterly recognize that, with the probable loss of a significant and regenerative investment such as that of Nuova Pignone BH, we will once again be condemned to live with regrets, eternal “who knows” and infinite “buts”.
This is why this city, this territory, deserves a clear vision and a decisive action plan more than ever. If the choice is to focus everything on tourism – even knowing that tourism alone is not enough to increase the wealth of this area of Calabria – then effective strategies and concrete plans must be put in place to create the necessary infrastructure. Courageous actions must be taken, such as creating a territorial destination and promoting it effectively to cruise companies, transforming the port into an excellent recreational port. Also because – let’s dispel another myth – cruise ships don’t arrive because a new ad hoc dock is built, they arrive if the cruise passenger is interested in the stop. And what would be our stop?
To still remain at the port: let us have the strength and ability to relaunch the Schiavonea fishing fleet to make it once again the first in the entire Mediterranean basin and make it strong enough to establish the fish market in Europe.
That a plan be made to rehabilitate mountain resorts, transforming them into quality tourist attractions (with even greater potential than the coast); to revitalize the historic centers of Corigliano and Rossano with innovative strategies to attract tourist flows that enhance the local monuments and heritage.
In short, we need to define and follow a clear and precise route, because complaining about the investment attempts of others without offering valid alternatives is equivalent to remaining at the mercy of a sea of unexpressed potential and never-realized prospects. The time has come to wake up and chart a decisive and concrete path towards a better future, for Corigliano-Rossano and for all of north-eastern Calabria. Because without a charted path we will always arrive too late at the decisive appointments, so late that all the time appropriate for change will have passed.
