Instead of attending a meeting about the floods, the Italian head of government posted a cheerful selfie. Meanwhile, the population is battling with the consequences of the storms.
Rome – Italy is battling the consequences of severe storms. Heavy rainfall has caused flooding and devastating floods. In the Italian region of Apulia, a firefighter even died as a result of the flooding. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni assured the affected regions of help – but at the same time posted a happy selfie with a Hollywood star.
Meloni posts a happy selfie with a Hollywood star amid the storm chaos in Italy
The right-wing head of government was actually supposed to attend a special meeting of her cabinet on the floods. Instead, on Saturday (September 21) she uploaded a selfie to Instagram showing herself beaming with Mel Gibson, known from the film “Braveheart”. She captioned it: “Mel&Mel”. Negative reactions to the picture were not long in coming. One user commented in disbelief: “We are sinking in the mud here!” Another user ranted: “Shame on you!”
“Emilia Romagna has been the victim of an exceptional storm for the second time in a year and the flood victims are still waiting for state aid (…) and you post a picture with Mel Gibson?” asks one man incredulously. Another angrily comments: “How do you sleep at night?”
Meloni had previously promised the affected regions her full support: “We will provide the affected population with the best possible support,” she promised. After an unscheduled meeting in Rome, the government promised emergency aid totaling 24 million euros to the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Marche, which were particularly badly hit by the storms – where a state of emergency was even declared due to the storms.
Storms in Italy: Only now is the extent of the damage becoming apparent
The heavy rains since Thursday (September 19) have forced more than 2,500 people in Italy to leave their homes. Some found shelter with relatives and friends, while others slept in sports halls. Cities such as Bologna, Modena and Ravenna were affected, as was the popular seaside resort of Rimini on the Adriatic, whose high season had only just ended a few days ago. In Emilia-Romagna, some residents experienced a flood disaster for the third time in a year.
Over the weekend (21/22 September) the weather calmed down and the rain stopped. Only now is the extent of the damage to many buildings becoming apparent. Many cars that were parked on the side of the road are unusable. The water on the streets slowly began to recede, but in many places large amounts of mud and other dirt remained. (tt/dpa)
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