«No to drills, I don’t change my mind. We have already burned ourselves and we are still paying »- Corriere.it

“In the 2016 referendum, I had supported the no to drills, like almost 86% of Venetians and Italians. And today, confirming that no is not just a question of consistency “. Luca Zaia, the Venetian governor, takes the floor for the first time after the government (with an amendment to the dl Aiuti ter) gave the green light to the extraction of gas from the largest fields. For the Veneto, it means the possibility of drilling in an area on the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Polesine. And that’s the point.

Why does he say it’s not just consistent with 2016? What are you thinking about?

«I am referring to a fact that is there for all to see. The results of subsidence – the sinking of land and seabed – following the drilling of the 1950s have been massive and devastating. There are areas where the bottom has lowered by four meters, with a progression of subsidence even today inexorable ».

In short, president: “Not in my yard”?

“Our people are certainly worried about what happened. Beyond the political colors, he wrote it well on the Courier yesterday Gian Antonio Stella. And the concern is also widespread for a fact that is little thought of: the main industry in Veneto is tourism, half of the turnover comes from the beaches “.

Croatia, however, is drilling and how. And not far away. Isn’t that a little strange?

“No. We have sandy bottoms, not rocky like those of Croatia. It is a completely different context and it is obvious that some question marks come to mind ».

Won’t you also be one of those “ideological environmentalists” of which Giorgia Meloni spoke?

«Not at all, she jokes. Ours is not an environmentalist position, much less an ideological one. To say: we are in favor of regasifiers and I can tell you that we are ready to increase the capacity of what is already there. I fully understand the government’s concern. But there is place and place ».

In short, his is a definite no …

“I have seen official statements that the verification of the damages will be a sine qua non. The problem, however, is that we have already done tests, and the combination of morphology and fragility of the territory has given very bad results. Rather, I repeat, take advantage of the regasification plant we have and let us push its potential to the maximum. Among other things, the new drilling may not give us results for three or four years ».

President, however, the problem of energy supply is serious.

«We are perfectly aware of the energy crisis and we are convinced that it is serious. But it is equally true that absolutely serious questions cannot be overlooked in the name of reason of state. Veneto has always been attentive and supportive, but in this phase it will be difficult to unravel the perplexities of a community that has already paid a heavy bill for what it has been. In the Polesine it was a colossal disaster ».

What do you answer to the industrialists who protest the “silence of politics” on this issue?

«We would all like to say, you cannot die for lack of raw material. And personally I am known for having done even cyclopean public works, even against committees. No one better than me can understand and share the desire to do. But it is the same consultants that industrialists use for other dossiers who say it is dangerous. It is a question of understanding if anyone is able to certify that there are no risks. To me, at the moment, it does not appear. And let me say something else too … ».

«The Adriatic is a sea but with many of the characteristics of a lake. In this context, the effects of any environmental damage would be devastating for tourism and bathing in a very wide range, with an enormous damage to the overall image: 66% of our tourists are foreigners ».

How do you assess the government’s first moves?

«Giorgia Meloni is proving to be coherent and operative. Of course: we face challenges, even as a center-right, which are probably similar to those of the post-war period, we are facing a reconstruction. But I think that the conditions for doing well are all there, and the Prime Minister seems to me to be absolutely on course “.