Genoa – «Toti is an opponent, but we are guaranteed with everyone. Investigations cannot dictate the times to the institutions.” Matteo Renzi arrives in Liguria, in Genoa to present the candidates from the North West of the United States of Europe list (today at 1pm at the Mentelocale in Palazzo Ducale) and places Italia viva in opposition to the regional centre-right: «We have political arguments to say who failed as governor.” But on the future he makes the goals of the centrist formation clear: «Never with those who are against infrastructures, Liguria cannot return to happy degrowth» and in Genoa «we need a president with the full powers of him».
Senator Renzi, since May 7th Liguria has been experiencing the surreal situation of a president under house arrest. A motion of no confidence for Toti will be discussed in the regional council on Tuesday, Italia viva is not in the council, but what would you vote for?
«We are guaranteed, always and in any case. Even with Giovanni Toti who is an adversary and who was not a guarantor when our Lella Paita was hit with an unjust accusation. It cannot be an investigation, a precautionary measure or an indictment that determines the duration of the institutions. This is a decisive point because it concerns the separation of powers. For us, Toti has failed politically. We have political arguments to say that we don’t trust his actions as Governor, not justicialists.”
Do you think that Toti can resume acting as regional president when he is no longer under house arrest or his majority will no longer support him once the European elections have passed?
«I believe that Giovanni Toti’s problem is his Brothers of Italy allies, not exactly champions of guaranteeism. But beyond the fate of the Toti council, what worries me are the fate of Liguria: this affair risks resulting in the paralysis of infrastructure. The demonstration of the committees against the works struck me a lot. If anyone thinks of dusting off the theory of happy degrowth in Liguria, they are greatly mistaken. Here more than anywhere else, roads, motorways, railways and high speed are needed. And they can and must be carried out in transparency and legality.”
Beyond the Region, there is the first port in Italy that is affected by the investigation. Should the government intervene by appointing a new president or a commissioner?
«The most important port in Italy needs stability and perspective. We need a fully legitimized and operational port authority president to have certainty in investments and to strengthen port traffic. Enough provisionality. If elected, in Europe Raffaella Paita and I will work for Liguria and the north west. The ports and the crossing are within the European Corridors. We will also work for the Tirreno-Brennero axis with the Pontremolese and to create the Albenga-Predosa”.
In the event of early elections in Liguria, how would Italia viva take sides? How do you judge the possibility of Andrea Orlando’s candidacy?
«This is premature. One thing is certain: Italia viva will never be on the side of those who want degrowth, therefore never with those who don’t want Gronda and infrastructure.”
The government is accelerating justice reform, are you willing to support it?
«We loudly ask for real justice reform. The problem is another: will this government do it? Because for now we’ve only heard rumors. The separation of careers? Maybe, but the suspicion is that it is just an electoral flag.”
The Genoa investigation raised the issue of private party financing. Is a reform necessary?
«I believe that returning to public financing is a mistake: citizens’ tax money should not go to the parties, but to healthcare. And again: investigations cannot dictate the institutional agenda.”
You said that you hope that a “Mario majority” can be formed in Europe to make Draghi the president of the commission. Who do you think you could be part of it with?
«With those who don’t believe in Ursula’s encore. There are a lot of them, you know? Even and above all among the popular people who pretend to all agree but in reality do not share the president’s second mandate. But it will be essential to be at least five as the United States of Europe and I hope two in the North West.”
The “United States of Europe” list was born during the elections, will it go the way of the Third Pole or could the pact with More Europe continue to develop even after the vote?
«It won’t end up like the third pole because this time there isn’t an unpredictable and unspeakable variable like Calenda who always puts his ego before politics. This time too she chose to put her surname in front of the cultural challenge of the United States of Europe list. So we will not end up like the third pole but rather June 9th will only be the first step of a reformist project in Europe and Italy. Also because if we want to build an alternative to Giorgia Meloni we need an alternative project to the right-wing sovereignists and left-wing populists.”
What should Europe do to avoid a war with Russia without giving up defending Ukraine?
«Russia’s criminal invasion of Ukraine marked a point of no return. We have said and renew our firm yes to sanctions on Moscow and to arms supplies to Kiev. At the same time, we immediately asked for a special envoy – we named Angela Merkel and Tony Blair – for diplomacy. An escalation must be avoided. But peace must be a just peace that cannot mean the surrender of Ukraine. Peace is not a hashtag, peace is built. This is why we need a common army, we need true common diplomacy. We need the United States of Europe.”
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