From Monti to Draghi, there is no government in the last ten years that has not dealt with Ilva in Taranto, the largest European steel plant. Attention made necessary by the seizure of the plants, in July 2012, for serious environmental crimes and gradually continued with a series of decrees called to respond to emergencies that arose from time to time. Ten years after 2012, in addition to the sale (2017) of the factory to the private Mittal, after the State had commissioned it in 2013, and in addition to the new Acciaierie d’Italia company, established in 2021 between Mittal and Invitalia, there are some , major improvements.
For example: the interventions planned for the adaptation of the plants have almost all been completed and certified, say Mite and Ispra. And the company declares that 1.1-1.2 billion euros have been invested in the last three years, of which 700 million for the environment. But the plants remain seized albeit with the right of use. In addition, production does not take off, layoffs are high and the liquidity crisis is tightening Acciaierie d’Italia, limiting it in the purchase of raw materials as well as in the payment of suppliers. The last government intervention was with the Dl Aid Bis. Invitalia, a minority shareholder with respect to Mittal, was authorized to subscribe to capital increases or various instruments, in any case suitable for capital strengthening, also in the form of shareholder loans for a capital increase, up to a total of one billion.
Just as the city is divided between those who want the factory closed tout court to focus on alternatives and those who instead want it in business but with environmental guarantees, so the Ilva theme has already divided politics several times and now we will see if and how it will glide in the countryside election in Taranto. In 2018, following the proclamation “we will close the steel plant”, the M5S elected five parliamentarians. And of that troop today there is only one left, Mario Turco, while the others have changed their position between Misto and Luigi Di Maio. In the city, in particular, M5S obtained 47.70 per cent, Forza Italia 19.40, Lega 5.70, Fratelli d’Italia 3.63, and the Pd 13.56. In total, 15.97 in the center-left and 29.77 in the center-right.
But the conflicts over Ilva are even more recent. In February in the House committee a good chunk of the majority of Draghi (Pd, M5S, Forza Italia and Italia Viva) torpedoed the Milleproroghe rule which wanted to transfer 575 million from reclamations (in the hands of Ilva in extraordinary administration) to decarbonisation (and therefore to the company). And when in May, with the Dl Energia, the operation was put back on track, moving 150 million and no longer 575, Pd, M5S and Leu tried to hinder it but without success.
Furthermore, just before the alliance between the Democratic Party and the Action collapsed, Carlo Calenda – who as minister managed the sale of the company from the State to Mittal – and Angelo Bonelli of the Greens exchanged foil shots on Ilva. While the Pd of Taranto, with Matthias Daynotes that “the Calenda line is absolutely not compatible with the great transition and decarbonisation process initiated in Puglia by President Emiliano and in Taranto by Mayor Melucci”.