«No prejudices, but uniformity is needed. Historical expenditure damages the South»- Corriere.it

Differentiated autonomy of the Regions? Yes, provided that the Constitution is implemented as a whole and not “piecemeal”. On the draft Calderoli the president of Calabria, Roberto Occhiutocomes out of the North against South pattern.

Don’t you think that the draft penalizes the South?

Drafts are drafts. They are proposals to think about. They are not tables of the law.

Will differentiated autonomy not leave the North richer and the South even poorer?

It depends on how it is made.

How does Minister Calderoli imagine it, isn’t it good?

I have no prejudicial closures. I said it in the meeting: we accept the challenge. For….

For?

Not only the article 116 not to be applied. Also 117, 119. If they were all, in terms of taxation the South could even gain.

How?

For example on energy. My Region produces a lot of it: 42% from renewable sources, then there’s hydroelectric and more. In total more than what the Calabrians consume. But the bill has, as a percentage, the same taxes as the Veneto. Why can’t my Region maintain the higher tax revenues deriving from a higher production of alternative energy? If an industrial group wanted to build a large offshore wind farm, I would have to convince the citizens. It would be right if they had concrete advantages. Or the Port of Gioia Tauro. the first port of Italy but does not produce wealth in Calabria. It would be fair to keep part of the customs duties.

Emiliano says that applying the Lep gives the South an advantage. Do you agree?

S. The Constitution provides for uniformity throughout the national territory. But not so. Each region is financed according to historical spending: those who had less, and were able to spend less, will have less. Who had more always more

For example?

Let’s assume that Crotone received 100,000 euros for kindergartens and Bergamo 1 million. If the resources of both cities are increased by 10%, the inequalities are not equalized, they are accentuated.

So what does he propose?

We establish the Lep on standard needs, we make the equalization and then the differentiated autonomy can start. But on the right criteria. a complex job that has never been done in 20 years. But if Title V is to be implemented, it must be done in its entirety.

Even on education?

Education is a delicate matter. Entrusting its governance and organization to the Regions could mean building more school systems and increasing the social gaps, starting from education and knowledge, between richer and poorer regions.