The green light of the European Commission for the Italian Recovery Plan comes directly from President Ursula Von der Leyen on a visit to Rome: “Our approval today is fundamental for the 191.5 billion, once approved by the Council in the next four weeks, we will be ready to disburse the first funds. This is the beginning of an implementation that will be tough, we will have to work hard and the Commission will be with you step by step. A stronger Italy makes Europe stronger ».
A message that Prime Minister Mario Draghi seized on the fly: «It is a day of pride for the country. The visit by the president of the EU Commission marks the green light for the Italian PNRR. We have developed a plan to make the country more just and sustainable, but the most important challenge is the implementation of the plan. We are only at the beginning. The important thing is that the funds are well spent. Effectively and honestly. There are many projects ready to start ».
Also because the goal of the Italian PNRR is ambition, it bets on young people and women. Reason why Draghi insisted on how “
And Cinecittà, the place chosen by Draghi to meet the president of the EU Commission, has a strongly symbolic connotation: “Here in the post-war years our cinema told the life of Italian families, first the hardships, then the work and finally the enthusiasm . Today we celebrate the dawn of recovery. ”With which 300 million euros will reach the film industry.
After the meeting in Berlin with Angela Merkel, the appointment with Von der Leyen in Rome confirms when Draghi is appreciated and esteemed in the chancelleries of the Old Continent: “You, emerging from the crisis – said the president of the Commission – have inspired an entire continent , you have shown what the true meaning of solidarity is. We with the Next Generation Eu can reshape our continent.
Von der Leyen then uses the football metaphor: “The vaccination campaign is proceeding quickly as the Italian team and the whole country and the economy are reopening.”
Draghi’s commitment, however, does not stop here: in days – said the premier – “the reform of justice will arrive in the council of ministers, in July it will be the turn of the law on competition, while by the end of the month there will be the delegation for the reform of the procurement code “.
“With the active employment policies that you will put in place, you will give young people new opportunities. Then – added Von der Leyen – there are crucial reforms, such as cutting the cumbersome bureaucracy or reforming justice. These are reforms that the Italians have been asking for for years and that are becoming a reality. The Italian plan is ambitious, forward-looking and will help shape a better future for Italians and the EU. The Italian plan will have an impact of approximately 1.5 to 2.5 per cent of GDP and over 240,000 new jobs in Italy until 2026 ”.
Addressing topical issues, responding to a question about the Vatican’s intervention on the Zan law, Draghi said: «Tomorrow I am in Parliament all day, I expect them to ask me and I will answer in a much more structured way than today. It is an important question ».