“No violation of international law. Being a taxi of human flesh is different from helping»- Corriere.it

Minister, you are responsible for coordinating the rules concerning coasts and the sea, as well as those for civil protection. How do you respond to the criticisms of the legislative decree on NGOs?

«They are unfounded, there is no penalty – Nello Musumeci replies – everyone must do their job. We have adopted rules in line with the policy that the government has given itself and which do not violate international law”.

Not even if there is a risk of making rescue at sea more complicated?

«It is one thing to rescue those in danger of drowning – an incontrovertible fact and a duty that we will never question – another thing is to run a taxi service out of human flesh, ending up fueling the trafficking of people who are victims of criminal organizations ».

You have just won the regional elections, who made the difference? The coalition or the Meloni factor?

«The coalition won with the contribution that each one was able to make. And it is also a confirmation of the trust enjoyed by the Prime Minister, just 100 days after taking office, as well as the demonstration of a united centre-right which arouses much interest. The numbers speak volumes, but we must not rest on our laurels.”

How are the balance of power changing with Lega and Forza Italia?

“There is no reason to weigh these reports, one objective was to intercept a part of the left-wing electorate and another was to try to capture as many votes as possible”.

Is it correct to speak of victory with this abstention?

«Unfortunately in many Western democracies it is a physiological fact, we are used to very different percentages. I could say that Italy is aligning itself with other countries, but obviously the hope is that the trend can be reversed».

What is the effect of being in a party that is over 30%?

«I come from crossing the desert, I have been counting the percentages of my party for 50 years, first with zero point in the MSI, then with some more robust numbers in An and now with FdI, which thanks to the qualities of courage and vision of a young woman achieved this goal. But you have to keep your feet on the ground, it can take years to achieve a result, but everything can be lost in a few weeks”.

What mistakes did the Democratic Party make?

«For many years he has been pursuing an attempt at an effective synthesis between militant Catholicism and post-communist culture, but he has never managed to find it, with the result that it has made neither one nor the other happy, neither the maximalists nor the better ones . Perhaps old but still current categories appear even during these primaries, it is a party in search of its own identity ».

The best thing about the government in these first months?

«The ability to project Italy into a Mediterranean dimension with great credibility, Meloni was very good at relaunching the project for a Mattei Plan. Italy counts in the world if it counts in the Mediterranean».

Berlusconi complains about the lack of collegiality.

“Perhaps there is a communication deficit in President Berlusconi’s party, the force-loving colleagues vote in the CDM like the others and the climate is very serene, every decision is taken unanimously”.

You have delegation of the sea, what does it mean?

«The sea is an extraordinary resource which was not sufficiently taken into account in the past. Today there are at least eight dicasteries that have powers over the sea. The prime minister’s goal is to make the new structure a coordination and planning tool. From shipbuilding to tourist activities, up to cruises, ports and the handling of goods, we are second and third in Europe according to the supply chains. There’s so much to do.”

You ruled Sicily for 5 years. In 2023 a train from Trapani to Ragusa takes 13 hours. How is it possible?

«Because from 1947 to today the national government has never invested in Sicily’s strategic infrastructures. Today we are trying to recover with the funds of the Pnrr ».