«We need to collaborate with the government in the interest of the citizens. While Manfredi he does it correctly, De Luca is engaged in a sterile self-claim that leads nowhere. Isolating Campania more and more », he reasons Stephen Caldoroformer center-right governor.
What do you mean by collaboration?
“As always happened in the past. I well remember the correct institutional relationship between Bassolino and Berlusconi, despite the enormous political differences that remained, in the sole interest of the citizens. And if the collaboration is not set in motion, the city and the Region will pay the consequences”.
How are relations with the executive and local institutions?
«First of all, after more than 10 years, with Giorgia Meloni as premier, there is a political government chosen by the voters and this radically changes the relationship between the center and the periphery: the relationship between local institutions and the national executive changes, very different from the one with the technical executives. And we are all called to seek an institutional dialogue. Anyone who doesn’t understand this political duty should change jobs».
Who is he referring to?
«One cannot fail to see Mayor Manfredi’s search for a correct institutional relationship with the government, made up of dialogue and collaboration with the ministers to the full advantage of the city of Naples. Something different happens in the Region, with a stale, repetitive script made up of sterile claims, dramatization, gags and blame game».
Is it an opening message from the centre-right to Manfredi?
«Our opposition has a highly critical judgment on the centre-left juntas, or like the Municipality also with the 5 Stars, and we offer an alternative government model. From this point of view we do not make a distinction between the Municipality and the Region».
In the meantime, the constant presence of some ministers in Naples does not go unnoticed.
«There are positive signs from the government: just look at the activism of the various ministers, in particular that of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano and that of the South Raffaele Fitto. The first to enhance and support the extraordinary cultural excellence of the city and the second to spend European and Pnnr funds quickly and well. As well as the continuous work of the Campania members in the government, starting with the Deputy Foreign Minister Cirielli, who has the strategic delegation of development cooperation. And I believe that local governments must support and help these paths».
De Luca is instead engaged in a one-on-one battle against this executive.
«But how do you, for example, unload the dramatic shortage of health personnel on the government, when recruitment and competitions in the sector are the exclusive, and I emphasize exclusive, competence of the Regions. Or to give another example: how can one fail to understand, or pretend, to open a confrontation with the government with the false accusation of stealing funds from the South to spend them in the North, when the real tragedy is the inability to plan and spend of the same Region. And when the minister of the South offers his commitment to prevent the loss of funds, he is attacked with ridiculous accusations ».
Should there be cooperation on his part?
«It is essential otherwise the largest region in the South is isolated from national and European dynamics. A harmful road for Campania, now relegated to being last in Italy in terms of services and quality of life. A Region that more than others needs the support of the government».
However, it will be agreed that with the Autonomy strongly desired by the League there is the great danger of inequalities to the detriment of the South.
«In the last twenty years the territorial gap has increased to the detriment of the South and there is no Autonomy. This means that the problem is not the application of differentiated regionalism, but rather what will be done to change direction and rebalance North/South relations».
But yesterday the first citizens of the South took to the streets.
«What the mayors are asking is right: we need a protagonism of the Municipalities against a model of regional neo-centralism. This is the real risk. And also the metropolitan cities have a strategic role in this path. In fact, especially them.”
As a former governor, what do you think of a possible third term for De Luca?
“I have always been against the limit of mandates, both for mayors and for regional presidents: politics decides first, then the voters”.
Is there a need for a change in the electoral law?
«It is a theme for constitutionalists because there is a national framework legislation which requires the regions to establish the limit of mandates in their own Statute. Otherwise it’s just a regulatory address. And in the Statute, in my opinion, of this region there is not an explicit passage on the prohibition of the third term. But I think it’s a theme for the Consulta».
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