Harsh back and forth between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the governor of Campania Vincenzo De Luca today in the streets against autonomy.
"I must thank the regional presidents", said the Prime Minister from Calabria where she is for the signing of the Agreement for the Development and Cohesion Fund 2021-2027.
"Everyone has understood the meaning of what we are doing - underlined Meloni - there has been an enormous collaboration, everyone is collaborative except one who is not very collaborative at the moment. Respect for goodness' sake, it doesn't surprise me too much, if we go looking at the 2014-2020 planning cycle, 24% of the expenditure appears to have been spent, if instead of holding demonstrations we got to work perhaps we could obtain some more results".
Video Meloni to De Luca: 'Work instead of demonstrating'
"Melons? You can't work without money. Bitch, you work", is the governor's response to the prime minister's words.
De Luca, in Montecitorio together with two mayors of Campania, stopped on the Transatlantic to chat with some journalists, describing the demonstration and complaining about not having been received by anyone in the ministries.
Video De Luca against Meloni: 'Apologize to the South, it trampled on us and offended us'
"We arrived in front of the Ministry of Cohesion, where there are Stakhanovites: there was no one, the minister wasn't there, there wasn't an undersecretary, there wasn't an official who was playing tennis. They pushed us, then they said that a delegation could go up, but there was no one on it. So I went towards Palazzo Chigi, but a police barrier blocked us. They said that only the President could go through, and so I went. But Palazzo Chigi, there was no Mantovano, there was no one. This is how they treat the mayors of Campania. We had warned them for 12 days that we would come."
De Luca recounted in great detail the mechanisms with which, in his opinion, the government blocks the cohesion funds for Campania.
Video De Luca arrives at Fitto's ministry: 'Rabbits, let us open'
"When the rules are violated - he continued - democracy is at risk. They do this against Campania which is the region with the greatest social suffering in Europe. Without money you can't do programming, cultural businesses can't do programming".
When asked whether in his opinion there was a personal element towards him or a political element, De Luca replied: "it has nothing to do with left or right. It has to do with the fact that Campania is a region that does not bend. all we have left is the social battle, hoping that it will be enough."
For further information Agenzia ANSA Meloni in Gioia Tauro for the cohesion agreement - News - Ansa.it Minister Fitto also present (ANSA)
De Luca: 'Autonomy tramples the South, Meloni apologizes'
"Did Schlein say that autonomy penalizes the South? Differentiated autonomy does not penalize the South, it tramples on it and offends it. Meloni must apologize because these funds were intended primarily for the South, and the cohesion agreements had to be made first and foremost with the regions of the south instead of with all the regions of the north. If you think that the dignity of the South is for sale, you are wrong. Today's demonstration serves to remind Giorgia Meloni and everyone that the dignity of the South is not for sale so she apologizes, sorry because It is blocking essential resources to create jobs."
This was said by the president of the Campania Region Vincenzo De Luca, arriving in the square in Rome at the demonstration with mayors from the south against the reform on differentiated autonomy.
"Differentiated autonomy is a fraudulent law. If we allow the northern regions to make supplementary healthcare contracts with 3000 euros more per month for doctors, we are dead. We are ready to compete but on equal terms."
Video Palazzo Chigi, De Luca tries to break through the police cordon
"They decided to create a single SEZ for the whole of the South, and then they brought all the decisions to Rome. I call anyone who does this an imbecile, or not? What is the malice of these young men? Let the entrepreneur go to Rome to genuflect. This is the worst of cronyism. Shame on Meloni, not me."
The governor of Campania Vincenzo De Luca said this at the demonstration of the mayors of Campania underway in Rome.
"Here are the first opponents of quackery. We reject the fact that the efficient ones are in the North and the criminals are in the South. We are here with our heads held high."
Video De Luca goes to the Prefecture after the tensions at Palazzo Chigi
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