Giorgia Meloni she came back with Ursula von der Leyen in the territories affected byflood last May in Romagna. The Italian Prime Minister and the President of the EU Commission announced the allocation of 1,2 billion euros from the Pnrr, in the form of additional funds for post-flood interventions and investments. But the reception was rather cold, with whistles and chants of protest from the crowd: “Respect. Catwalks don't help." The residents, with the support of CGIL and Friday for Future, underlined the lack of attention to their needs and the need for more concrete intervention.
In the morning, Giorgia Meloni visited Bologna, signing an agreement for the development and cohesion fund of over 600 million euros. The agreement includes 92 priority projects for Emilia-Romagna. During the signing, Meloni underlined the importance of focusing on a few large priorities rather than hundreds of micro-projects, mobilizing a total of 687 million euros.
Meloni in Forlì: “We need to work and do it quickly”
“The fact that the Presidency of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen is here is a symbol of great seriousness and concreteness. I thank everyone who helps us do this work. The revision of the Pnrr is important, which was necessary after the changed context". She said it Giorgia Meloni at the press conference. “There is a very important commitment of 1,2 billion for flooded lands. The resources will allow environmental restoration to be carried out – continues Meloni -. We do reconstruction, but above all prevention with respect to any further events of this nature. Inserting these objectives into the Pnrr requires us to work quickly, with 90% completion by 2026. So we need to work and do it quickly."
“This could bring an additional contribution of 378 million euros, 95 million euros of which have already been advanced. These are concrete answers." Then, she explains, "in the meeting I had with the president of the EU Commission we addressed" various topics, "starting from those of the next European Council". In the closed-door bilateral meeting - Meloni reported - "we talked" about the issue of the EU budget and "other important matters such as the need to guarantee resources" to Ukraine, the immigration problem and the Mattei plan because - he recalled the Prime Minister - "a new, non-predatory approach is necessary" with the African countries from which the migrants arrive. Ursula von der Leyen understood this before others,” she concluded.
Ursula von der Leyen: “More funds will arrive in the coming months”
“I remember the visit last May and it is touching to be back here. I will never forget these devastations. I remember mud everywhere, the ruins of the houses and all the devastation caused by the flood. But what I also remember is the enormous solidarity that spread, the will and desire to help. All together to help and support each other." As von der Leyen at the press conference. “The European Union has been close from day one and we will continue to do so. The cooperation was excellent, the revision of the Pnrr was successful. We have forecast 1,2 billion for this region. The goal is to get the region back on its feet, there are also funds for agriculture. We have made 60 million euros available."
“What we have witnessed is that there is global warming and extreme climate events will become more frequent – he continued -. We must tackle climate change to safeguard our economies too. Italy is investing in the deployment of clean energy. Italy is in line on the implementation of the Pnrr and it is great news. We will be by your side for as long as your recovery takes. Europe remains with you,” she concluded.
