The 660 million foreseen from 2022 for university accommodation are released: Palazzo Chigi, in a note, explains that the CDM has authorized the presentation of an amendment to confirm the immediate operation of the measures "which allocate 660 million euros to the acquisition of the availability of new beds in housing or residences for students of higher education institutions". The amendment comes after a "dialogue with the European Commission that has made it possible to exclude the nature of state aid" of these interventions.
"During today's session, the Council of Ministers - reads the note - authorized, on the proposal of the Minister for European Affairs, the South, cohesion policies and the PNRR, Raffaele Fitto, the presentation of two government amendments to the bill conversion of the decree - law n. 44 of 2023, currently being examined by the Chamber of Deputies (CA 1114)", the so-called dl Pa. "The first amendment - specifies the note - concerns the incentive measures for the so-called university housing introduced by Article 25 of the decree - law n. 144 of 2022 and is aimed at aligning the regulatory text with the results of the interlocutions with the European Commission, defined yesterday, which allowed to exclude the nature of State aid. The amendment confirms, also at the legislative level, the immediate operation of the aforementioned measures that allocate 660 million euros "for university accommodation. The other amendment concerns the promotion of gender equality in public procurement.
DEAR RENTALS, THE SPECIAL
While the protest of university students against the high rent spreads throughout Italy, Minister Bernini intervenes again. "We have asked for a census of unused properties so that they are made available to students," the Minister of University and Research told Radio 24, who also explained: "There is a problem in finding available properties in the province." "I asked for collaboration starting from the state property, the municipalities and the mayors of metropolitan areas - added Bernini -. We arrived a few months ago and we have already put on the table 400 million on housing for students and 500 million for scholarships: it is almost a billion on the budget law. Then we will also move on to the funds of the PNRR. We guarantee at the moment for the allocation of an additional 7,500 beds. We have 40,<> beds. This is already speeding up, but we want to move forward on this."
ANSA Agency
From Milan to all of Italy, students in tents against expensive rents - Chronicle
Ilaria Lamera's initiative in the Lombard capital has spread among university students (ANSA)
The students' protest in front of the Ministry
The students bring the protest, started in Milan by the initiative of the student Ilaria Lamera, against the high rents under the Ministry. After having camped all over Italy in front of the universities, now the young Roman university students are, since the morning, with their tents in front of the Ministry of University and Research: "We are tired. And now "study, home and income", say the guys of the group Changing Route. "After Milan, Bologna, Florence, Turin and other cities, and after the tents appeared in Rome also in front of the University of Tor Vergata, we decided to bring the protest directly under the Ministry of University and Research.
Our requests all go in the direction of the elaboration and implementation of policies and instruments that serve to really guarantee the right to education for all. We invite all students of all universities to continuous and permanent mobilization!", reiterate the university students.
ANSA Agency
In Milan over 600 euros to rent a room, in Rome over 400 - Economy
The Immobiliare.it and Facile.it data: +11% of prices in a year (ANSA)
"On the problem of high rents we will present a resolution in the Culture and University Commission. We will convene the student associations and the relevant ministers, as well as the authorities of local authorities and regions. We must solve this problem that afflicts many Italian students throughout the nation for the complete realization of the right to study, an issue that has been neglected until today". This was declared by the President of the Culture and University Commission of the Chamber Federico Mollicone (FdI) and the leader of the FDI group in the Commission, Alessandro Amorese.
Meanwhile, the mobilization against the housing crisis does not stop.
The Union of University Students announces initiatives in eight different university cities: Milan, Pavia, Padua, Venice, Bologna, Perugia, Florence and Rome. Instead, the tents in Turin and Cagliari have been dismantled, while in Trento they will arrive on Friday. In the city of Trento, the UDU has called for a mobilization in front of the Palazzo della Provincia, in Piazza Dante. "We're going to start with a flash mob where you can all participate and tell your story, and we'll continue to be there in tents.
Also in Bari the protest mounts and the students have organized a flash mob in Piazza Cesare Battisti, in front of the Faculty of Law of the Aldo Moro University. The students of Link Bari explain the situation: "Living in Bari has become a luxury - they say - what should be a right becomes more and more a privilege, hindering the right to study". The students denounce rents "increased drastically: on average each student pays over 300 euros per month only in rent - they continue - to which must be added the expenses deriving from university taxation, those for teaching materials, those for utilities and for daily expenses ".
Today in Florence, where various tents were planted yesterday at the Polo delle Scienze Sociali, in the Novoli district, and today in the cloister of the Humanistic Library in Piazza Brunelleschi there was the first table, convened by the mayor Dario Nardella at Palazzo Vecchio. "The problem is now, there are 700 students who do not have a place to stay," said Riccardo Pisoni, Udu student representative in the Academic Senate. It is imperative that there is an active participation of the Municipality", concluded Pisoni.
"It was a useful and in-depth meeting", said Mayor Dario Nardella commenting on the meeting held today with the new student representatives of the University. Nardella, reads a note from the Municipality, has given its support and solidarity to the students. "We left - he said - with the commitment to maintain contacts and organize further meetings".
THE INITIATIVE IN GENOA
Bernini, more access to Medicine, hypothesis 19 thousand in 2023
"The number of medical school admissions in universities this year will increase." So the Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, to Radio 24. The minister also confirmed the numbers of new accesses released today by the newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore according to which the draft of a report by technicians speaks of 19 thousand places for 2023 (compared to the current 14,787 currently planned for tests in Italian) and 30 thousand more by 2030. "The sense of this opening is programmed on the need - added Bernini - We cannot open indiscriminately, but certainly the commission has worked out how many doctors will be needed on the basis of this data and on certain types of doctors. We will have to continue to check how many numbers are needed and on which specializations". "I confirm the increase in access to the Faculty of Medicine in the coming years", continues Minister Bernini. Ministry sources specify that the minister's statements referred to the increase of 30 thousand accesses to Medicine in the coming years, but did not go into the merits of the number of 19 thousand admissions on the next academic year. The final report will be presented next week.
Support from the Vatican
The vice-president of the Italian Episcopal Conference and bishop of Cassano, Mons. Francesco Savino, on the sidelines of a press conference in the Vatican on the protest of students for the high rents. "I share this meek, civil protest that says to adults and especially to those who have political responsibilities: do you realize that we can't do it?" "Pay a room 800-900 euros... The risk is to create the conditions for a social revolt." "It is a true, authentic protest, it responds to an objective need, we try to listen to them". The bishop said the issue will be at the center of the CEI assembly at the end of May. "We cannot fail to let ourselves be questioned, we want to listen to needs, especially starting with young people".
