“I decide the council on the basis of representation, experience and skills. Your lucubrations in the newspapers? I’ll stop at the headlines, I don’t even read the articles because they are scenarios that don’t exist.” Massimo Mezzetti has just been proclaimed mayor: he wears the tricolor sash, sits behind the desk, has a chat with the municipal employees.
Mezzetti, the mayor decides the council, but the parties will push for the names they like.
“Yes, but the final decision is up to me. Not only by law, but also on a political level: no mayor in Modena has obtained such a high level of personal consensus compared to the coalition: almost 1,800 votes. And no mayor since 2009 has received so many votes overall (54,860) despite 20 thousand fewer voters”.
The coalition forces, however, could reproach her that preferences have weight and that she won also thanks to them.
“I would say that they are the ones who won thanks to me.”
He was referring to the Christmas standoff when he was called.
“It must be borne in mind that between the European elections and the administrative elections, all the parties, centre-left and centre-right, lost votes to the advantage of the civic lists. If I were them I would ask myself some questions. And instead I read about phantom self-nominations in the newspapers: I only read the titles though, I don’t go any further because it wouldn’t make sense.”
How many members will your council have?
“Ten in total, including the mayor, the maximum possible for Modena. It’s curious that we talk about federalism and then the law also imposes the maximum number of administrators in a municipality at a national level.”
Councilors chosen for competence and experience.
“Exactly, at least in key delegations such as Urban Planning, School, Welfare, Budget”.
However, he also spoke about the criterion of representation.
“In the sense that the forces that entered the Council have the right to a department”.
But we imagine that each elected force will present itself with a shortlist of names from which to choose.
“Well, this is a method that must be overcome. They can also present the squad, but the names must convince me. Otherwise together we will find a solution by identifying another person”.
She won with a percentage beyond all predictions. Do those numbers scare you? Expectations are very high.
“Scared is not the right word. It certainly places a strong responsibility on me, I feel that the city expects a lot from our actions.”
The topics on the agenda for the first fateful hundred days?
“Rejections and insecurities, plural”.
Why plural?
“On public order, we will arrange a meeting with the prefect, commissioner, carabinieri – I remember the primary responsibility is that of the State – to map the situation in Modena, street by street. After that I will meet the commander of the local police to understand if there is room for a greater presence of agents in the area”.
The other insecurities?
“I’m thinking of the social ones. From health to housing: there is a ‘grey band’ of families who, despite working, are unable to meet the rent due to wages that are too low and an out-of-control real estate market.”
What’s the idea?
“We have in mind a greater leading role for the housing agency, granting owners guarantees, a higher rent and greater tax benefits to increase rental housing. The resources to do so will be partly borne by the Municipality which, however, will act as part of a Fund (to be established and which could be called ‘Social Real Estate’) in which to bring together the resources of all the public and private entities affected by this problem: from owners to tenants, from business associations to foundations” .
And let’s move on to waste.
“We will shortly convene a meeting with Hera to review area by area, involving the citizens from whom we will ask for their opinion, which are the streets and neighborhoods where the collection works and where above all it doesn’t work because there is no space or for some reason waste production that goes beyond collection capacity”.
What will happen where it doesn’t work?
“We will introduce corrective measures that can take two forms.”
We know that she doesn’t like exposed bags.
“Not me. Alternative solutions could be an increase in wheeled bins or, where there is a very high volume of waste, the introduction of ‘smart bins’ for paper and plastic where the bags can be disposed of.”
In what sense are you intelligent?
“There are those that work with emerald paper, like now the containers for unsorted waste, but also those that read the code of the bag, open it and track who gives the waste. Of course, in this case, an investment from the Municipality will be needed and Hera in addition, but the decorum of the city will benefit from it.”
Have you had the opportunity to speak with Gian Carlo Muzzarelli in these hours? How are the relationships between the two of you?
“We also met with Gian Carlo yesterday, he passed me a series of files and made himself available, telling me to call him whenever needed.”
What are the main obstacles you fear for the next five years?
“There are two-three reasons for concern that I would prefer not to report for now also so as not to fuel them.”
Tell us at least one.
“It will certainly be necessary to introduce a new methodology in the functioning of the municipal machine. There are rigidities that do not only concern Modena, but all the Municipalities. We think in a vertical way, in watertight compartments. And instead we need to start thinking in a horizontal, transversal, multidisciplinary”.
Can you give some examples?
“It is not possible to deal with urban planning without also involving the environment or public works sectors. Or social policies without discussing health”.
