Premier Mario Draghi stressed the need to bridge the economic divide between southern Italy and the rest of the country as he signed a ‘Pact for Naples’ in the city on Tuesday along with Mayor Gaetano Manfredi. Under the pact, central government will give Naples 1.3 billion euros over the next 20 years as part of a programme to aid big cities with serious financial problems with the help of European funding for Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).
“The aim of the plan is to bridge what has become an intolerable divide,” Draghi said. “The per-capita income in the south of Italy is just over half that of the centre-north and the unemployment rate is double. “We have to admit that there is a ‘southern Italy issue’ but, at the same time, we must avoid bringing this down to sterile blame-laying. “We must tackle it with urgency, determination and unity because the whole of Italy needs Naples and southern Italy to be a driving force for the country. “Public funding is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for the south’s revival. “The NRRP requires that we all make leap forward in the quality of expenditure management. “The plan must be completed by 2026. “We cannot allow this money to be lost or wasted as, unfortunately, happened in the past with many other European funds”.
Draghi on Tuesday also signed a decree on temporary protection and assistance for refugees coming from Ukraine due to the Russian invasion, the premier’s office said. The decree reflects the decisions of the EU summit on March 4. It sets March 4 as the start date for temporary protection, which lasts a year. Ex-premier Giuseppe Conte, meanwhile, was confirmed as leader of the 5-Star Movement (M5S) in a re-run online poll of members on Monday.
The ballot had to be held again after a court ruling invalidated Conte’s election as leader last August by upholding an appeal by a group of activists about how it was conducted. Conte won the backing of 55,618 M5S members on Monday, 94.19% of the valid votes. “The M5S members have reconfirmed me (as leader) with a loud-and-clear statement,” Conte said. Lower House Speaker Roberto Fico, a senior M5S member, said Conte’s renewed election was “a strong political signal”.
