Green light to the bill on autonomy: the live press conference

A round of applause accompanied the approval of the bill on differentiated autonomy this afternoon, the symbolic measure of the League and above all of the Minister for Regional Affairs, Robert Calderoli. Precisely the latter does not hide his enthusiasm: “It is a historic day!”, He affirmed shortly after the ratification. To motivate him, he resorts to a metaphor: “Italy is a train that can run if there are regions that drive it and others that increase their speed, in a perspective of cohesion”.

For Giorgia Meloni, “this provision demonstrates once again that the government will keep its commitments”. The prime minister leverages the “consistency”, suggesting that today’s ratification represents only the first step of a wider reform project. A “citizens’ mandate” that the prime minister does not want to betray.

The first to cheer for today’s green light was the head of the Carroccio, Matthew Salvini: “Efficiency, merit, innovation, work, more rights for all citizens throughout Italy, fewer excuses for thieving or incompetent politicians. Autonomy approved in the Council of Ministers, another promise kept”, he said in a message sent to his family. Salvini’s words are echoed by those of the governor of Veneto, Luca Zaia: “The path towards autonomy has finally begun, the federalism that it is a choice of modernity”, he says with a video on social channels.

The line of Forza Italia appears more cautious. After Berlusconi’s suspicious silences in recent weeks, Lincia Ronzulli and Alessandro Cattaneo remarked the importance of “a discussion in Parliament”. And they underline the corrections made to the draft: “Every reference to historical spending has been deleted and the guarantee of the definition of social and civic rights, the so-called Lep, has been envisaged”. An “improvement” that took place “thanks to the proposals and amendments of Forza Italia”.

Criticisms from the opposition, on the other hand, were not long in coming. Piero De Luca, deputy of the Democratic Party, speaks of “a serious blow to the citizens of the south”. “The only result was obtained by the League, planting its flag in view of the next elections”, he then affirms, alluding to the upcoming regional elections. Along the same lines, too Charles Calenda highlights the opportunism in view of the vote: “This stuff arrives in Parliament in six months. But they approve it in a rush and badly the week before the elections”, writes the action leader on Twitter, defining “a tease” the exultation of the centre-right. However, the most scathing remains Nicola Zingaretti: “It’s a good thing they’re called Brothers of Italy. They destroy the homeland, they don’t defend it”.