On Monday 1 July 2024, the new City Council was installed in the Modena Town Hall. In his speech, the First Citizen Massimo Mezzetti listed some key points of his work
Pact for Modena
MODENA – There are 11 points of the strategic directions in which the Pact for Modena is developed, outlined by Mayor Massimo Mezzetti to the City Council.
The first (“Participation, responsibility, deliberative democracy”) starts from the objective of overcoming three problems summarized with as many acronyms: Dad (I decide-announce-defend), that is, I consult citizens afterwards; Nimo (Not in my office), that is, the de-responsibilization of the public body; Nimby (Not in my back yard), with citizens who refuse projects on their territory. “A Municipality is participatory – explained Mezzetti – when it allows citizens to contribute to public decisions”. And this is why it proposes to improve participation with the methods of “deliberative democracy”, with dialogue and informed debate.
A European city
The mayor developed the second point (“A European city, a city for peace”) starting from a quote by Norberto Bobbio on the “positive” notion of peace (in short, “if you want peace, prepare peace”) and with a reference to the encyclical “Pacem in terris” to also recall the need to address the immigration issue starting from the recognition of fundamental rights and duties.
With the third theme (“A fair city, inclusive for all”), attention was paid in particular to the scourge of feminicide and violence against women, with a reference also to the murder of Anna Sviridenko, recalling the activity of the Anti-Violence Centers. Mezzetti then recalled the document approved last November by the Council on responsibility in procreation, self-determination of women and protection of their health: the commitment is to strengthen the network of counseling centers for the full application of 194, but “we will not tolerate any interference or conditioning of the freedom of self-determination of women”.
A city that cares about well-being
The fourth point is “A city that is closer, more just, more attentive to well-being and health” with the proposal of a Social Regulatory Plan and a District Health and Well-being Plan, as well as attention to animal welfare.
With “A more welcoming city, a cleaner and more decorous city” three emergencies are outlined to be addressed, recovering the necessary resources as soon as possible: the maintenance and safety of schools; the maintenance and decorum of city parks, tree-lined avenues, cycle paths, sidewalks and roads; the maintenance and sustainability of the system of sports centers and youth aggregation and recreation centers.
Energy transition
“Energy transition and circular economy” is the area in which issues such as energy communities, sustainable mobility and waste disposal are developed, with the commitment to continue the path of improving separate waste collection, in quantity and quality, but identifying together with Hera the best way to do it, district by district, to avoid the problems that have emerged, also with the introduction of wheeled bins and dumpsters that allow traceability, as well as increasing the islands already introduced.
Mobility is the central theme of “A more connected and metropolitan city” with a specific reference to the railway connection between Modena and Sassuolo, the so-called Gigetto: thanks also to the hydrogen production hub in the city, the aim is to apply more advanced technologies also with respect to the tram/train that is being debated using means that combine electricity and hydrogen.
Home agency
The eighth point (“A more habitable and accessible city: the right to housing”) proposes to set up a sort of social real estate, a fund to further develop the Housing Agency and increase the housing to be rented (with part of the costs borne by the Municipality) and carry out redevelopment interventions.
Safety at work and attention to tenders (avoiding, when possible, the lowest bid in favor of the most economically advantageous offer) are the themes that emerge with respect to “A more innovative and work-oriented, more functional and more attractive city”, while with “A city for legality and safety” and with “A more creative and cultural educational city” the underlying theme is that of social cohesion.
