He appoints Figliuolo as commissioner, the reactions in the flooded lands: “The general is welcome, but he arrives late”

The name of General Figliuolo bounces quickly from Rome to Emilia-Romagna which has been demanding a reconstruction commissioner for over 40 days. And seen from here, it was Stefano Bonaccini’s appointment in which the region hit by the flood has always hoped and which he invoked. Now the mayors, with Matthew Lepore, ask that the Region and metropolitan cities be involved in the commissioner structure. And that the government abandon political strategies to start running for funds, jobs, support for displaced people and flooded businesses.

He arrives Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, there is agreement in the government, a name that no one disputes, has already managed the Covid emergency chosen by former prime minister Mario Draghi. And so, he declares Michele DePascalemayor of Ravenna, “good job to General Figliuolo we look forward to seeing him as soon as possible in Romagna. During the pandemic we got to know his skills and spirit of sacrifice which also in this case led him to accept a very difficult task. The government, after having explained to us for three weeks that a commissioner was not needed, he arrived with serious delay to a choice of indisputable quality”.

“Good job to General Figliuolo new commissioner for floods – he declares Matthew Lepore – As mayor of the Metropolitan City of Bologna, I ensure maximum collaboration. We know their powers and sense of the state. At the same time, I think the involvement of the Region, the mayors and the presidents of the province and the metropolitan city in the commissioner structure is fundamental. We also need adequate resources and quick responses. We will collaborate and represent our community. I hope the Government will now abandon the political controversies. Look exclusively to the interest of our communities. Too much time has already been lost.”

Do not miss the delay in the appointment. “The work to be done to restore the damage caused by the flood is enormous. The institutional chain must be built efficiently, citizens and businesses are asking for it: therefore the appointment of Commissioner Figliuolo is good, even if very late, but now concrete answers are needed ” he presses Elisabetta Gualmini, MEP of the Pd. “The appointment of the commissioner for reconstruction – he continues – is certainly good news for the affected populations, who have been waiting for a commissioner for over 40 days and continue to ask for resources, concrete measures, construction sites and administrative simplification. The delay in the appointment also risked question the activation of the European solidarity fund which must necessarily be requested within 12 weeks of the first flood. Now let’s all work together to build an efficient institutional chain. Even better if, as it seems, the three commissioner governance will be involved presidents of the affected regions”. So Bonaccini himself, Giani for Tuscany and Acquaroli for the Marches.

The centre-right mayor of Forlì, Gianluca Zattini he calls for unity: “Figliuolo is a serious and competent representative of the institutions, with consolidated experience in the field of crisis management. After Covid, an important and highly responsible mission awaits him, that of ferrying the flooded territories along the path of reconstruction. His is certainly a high-profile appointment that we welcome with great satisfaction and with the hope that he will be joined, as soon as possible, by certain resources “.

The Emilian councilor of the dem is ironic on social media Octavia Soncini: “41 days of inexplicable delay to appoint General Figliuolo as commissioner in Romagna, the same figure who was already indicated by Mario Draghi during the pandemic. This is the efficiency of the Meloni government”.

Stefano Vaccaritogether with the Emilian parliamentarians, and the other colleagues of the Democratic Party of the environment commission and in the other areas affected by the flood, presents that “centralistic decisions and without protagonism of the territories, as it is normal for a disaster of this type and as was the case with the earthquake, they would create enormous difficulties”.