“More protection for mayors” – Corriere.it

The names of the 104 victims of feminicide in Italy since the beginning of the year are projected onto the red-lit facade of Palazzo Chigi. A reminder and a warning, in the hope that the frightening figures of the phenomenon can deflate. Giorgia Meloni spoke about it at the presentation of the report of the parliamentary commission on femicide, on a day that the Prime Minister dedicated to women and Italian mayors.

In the morning, the premier appeared via video link at the Anci assembly in Bergamo and apologized several times for not being able to attend in person due to the “very complex deadlines” of these hours, economic maneuver in the first place: “We are working at maximum speed”. Welcomed with the “you” by the president of Anci and mayor of Bari, Antonio Decaro, Meloni made up for the absence live with the promise that the government “will give a new centrality to the municipalities” and the announcement of reforms very expected by the first citizens.

The most urgent is the age-old theme of the responsibility of local administrators and the tenant of Palazzo Chigi announces that «the government is working to modify a series of crimes against the public administration, starting from the abuse of office». The leader of the Brothers of Italy wants to change the penal rules “whose perimeter is so elastic as to lend itself to overly discretionary interpretations”.

The country needs to run, but the bureaucratic constraints are excessive and the mayors are “afraid of signing”. Quoting Don Camillo and the honorable PepponeMeloni assures that it will intervene so that local administrators no longer have to risk “long and dishonorable trials which, for good people, are already a penalty”. The government’s intention is not to safeguard the clever, he assures, but to protect the honest: “Impunity is not being claimed, certain rules are being asked.” And here the premier recalls that “93% of disputes are resolved with acquittals or dismissals”.

The Anci assembly, where Meloni received bipartisan applause, was an opportunity to relaunch a “new season of reforms in the framework of national cohesion”. Two guidelines, presidentialism and differentiated autonomy. The president tries to clear the field of misunderstandings: “We will move in the wake of the Constitution, on the basis of articles 116, 117 and 119”. In short, more autonomy for the Regions without creating inequality for the citizens. “It is an epochal challenge” and Meloni invokes the help of the first citizens, whom he praises for having kept the bond with citizens firm during the pandemic: “Thanks to the mayors, who have sometimes even saved face for the institutions”.

The problem is resources. The maneuver allocates 21 billion to help families and businesses, but expensive energy “drains five billion a month” and the prime minister calls on Brussels to help: “If the EU Commission does not intervene, it will be difficult to continue to meet these costs”. Luckily there is the money from the Pnrr, 40 billion for the Municipalities alone. Meloni is no longer thinking of incisive changes to the Plan, which Brussels would not accept, but speaks of “verifying with the EU Commission the most suitable measures to update the Pnrr”. He spoke about it in the morning at Palazzo Chigi in a meeting with Giorgetti, Urso, Fitto and Mantovano and in the afternoon, in the CDM, Meloni supported the work of Ciriani (Relations with Parliament) to adopt “a method that allows to avoid dispersions” when it will be a question of examining the amendments. Times are very tight and the premier wants to prevent the process of the budget law in the Chamber from becoming an assault on diligence.

On the eve of International day against violence against women
Meloni spoke at the presentation of the results of the Feminicide commission. The dem Valeria Valente passed the baton to minister Eugenia Roccella and the premier undertook to “treasure the fundamental work” of the commission. “Prevention, protection and certainty of punishment” will be Meloni’s “pillars of action”, which encourages women to report and plans to enhance the use of electronic bracelets.