Decaro (Anci): "In Phase 2, trust the mayors, but with clear rules"

Antonio Decaro, 50 years old next July, president of the Association of Italian Municipalities since 2016 and mayor of Bari in his second term, he is a good-natured person, he jokes with everyone, he is moved, but you wouldn't call him an accommodating type for this. Take the relationship with this government, "his" government of him: it has never been a thorn in the side, this is not. But certainly no minister has ever been able to count on the fact that, being a "friend", everything would have been easy with him. Everyone understood it a month ago when they were calculating to compensate for the lost income to the Municipalities after the blocking of all activities. With a letter addressed to the Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and to the Minister of Economy Roberto Gualtieri, he had made things clear: "The 'Cura Italia' decree does not contain what is indispensable to the Municipalities, a sector in crisis, like the the economic ones most exposed to the consequences of the emergency”. 

After a month, when the lines of behavior for the reopening of the country are more or less glimpsed, and even the accounts seem done, Decaro went back to clarifying. And this time accompanied by all the mayors of the 13 metropolitan areas: Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Florence, Bologna, Genoa, Bari, Palermo, Catania, Venice, Cagliari, Reggio Calabria. “If we really want to restart the country – they wrote to the Government – ​​we need to rely on the eight thousand Municipalities: we need to give us the possibility to award tenders with simplified procedures, we need to raise the direct assignment to one hundred thousand euros, appoint us commissioners with extraordinary power. Trust the mayors, not just in words”.  

President, never before has the Anci played a national role and a glue between such different parts of Italy. How was it possible to represent the near and distant needs of Bari, Milan, Naples, Bergamo? 

“Well, how? Being mayors: sense of responsibility and solidarity among us. After all, the only way we know of working together and within the Anci is precisely that of teaming up, of speaking with one voice as much as possible. And it works: in the meetings we hold in Anci, and which we now hold by videoconference, I would challenge you to recognize who is from the centre-right, who from the centre-left, who from the Cinquestelle, who from a civic list. When you immerse yourself in the things to do, the political differences cancel each other out, the effective ones – the objective difference between small municipalities and large cities – are compounded”. 

In a few days the so-called phase 2 begins, greater freedom of movement is assumed, there will be the opening of some factories, some shops will raise their shutters. How do you imagine the most awaited and most feared phase? The Regions seem to want to go in no particular order: how will the Municipalities move? 

“We are awaiting this phase with understandable apprehension, but we are working hard to ensure that we can go through it safely. There are two fundamental things that we have asked the government in the constant interlocution that sees us engaged in the control room. The first: clear and unambiguous indications on the national territory on who is open and who is not, on how to experience this new normality in shops or on public transport. The second: solutions and support for workers who leave children at home and need to be able to count on safe and efficient transport and people to take care of the children they leave at home. We have also proposed two possible solutions regarding public transport and the care of the little ones: defining the capacity of buses and train and metro wagons, extending the babysitter bonus, allowing the reopening of family homes and school camps while respecting the rules of distancing social".  

Decaro, you had an extraordinary moment of fame with the diffusion of videos in which you personally go to remove the people of Bari from the parks, inviting them to return to their homes. Among other things, the whole country now knows about hairy mussels, which have become the object of the funniest excuses to escape from virus house arrest. How did he live as sheriff? Many enjoyed making fun of her: and did she enjoy herself? 

“Honestly no, apart from certain moments, when I was able to laugh heartily in front of the memes and parodies made on the basis of my videos, I didn't enjoy it. On the contrary. Those videos, some funnier, some more controversial, were my attempt to keep the community together by putting my head and my heart together. Understanding and redeeming. My videos are not the result of a strategy, but an attempt, which I think was partially successful, to make my fellow citizens aware of an emergency that was initially welcomed with some superficiality. Also because, let's face it, who would have ever imagined living a period of life in which everything in the city was closed and going out on the street was prohibited? The first decree of the President of the Council of Ministers had to be assimilated, as well as understood. I have tried to do everything possible to achieve this goal.”  

How do you imagine life in the cities in the coming months? 

“I have to distinguish between what I would like and what I expect. I hope it slowly returns to how it was before. But I know it will take time for that hug party I've been wanting to throw since this nightmare began. In the meantime I am confident that we will all do our best to make everyday life work while respecting social distancing." 

What is your relationship like and how was it with the mayors of the most affected cities? What was the moment of your most emotional dialogue for her? 

”A relationship of sincere closeness and presence. From the mayor of Codogno to that of Alzano Lombardo, from my friend the mayor of Bergamo to all the mayors of Lombardy, I have often heard them, sometimes I have tried to comfort them, I have always tried to be the spokesperson for their requests. The moment that tried me the most, on an emotional level, was probably when Giorgio Gori told me of his dismay in front of pages and pages of the local Bergamo newspaper full of obituaries or in front of the coffins taken away by the dozens by military trucks” . 

And now? What are the most difficult challenges that await you mayors? 

“The effects of the stop on the economic fabric. Effects that will obviously depend on the time needed to restart and on the ability of the institutions to respond with effective and rapid measures. And then the lives of families, of citizens who will soon return to work and will need safe buses and subways and solutions to leave their children since schools remain closed. And then, after so many sacrifices, it's legitimate that everyone wants to know what summer will be like. It is equally clear that giving a definitive answer to these requests is not easy, and that on some things we will have to proceed gradually". 

Do you think that the Anci has grown in popular consideration after this experience? 

“The Anci plays a role that doesn't always emerge, but which is very important: to compose and bring to the outside the needs of local administrators who are then functional in giving citizens what they expect, efficient services. I don't know if we have become more popular, but I am sure that the mayors above all are very aware of the importance of the Anci”.