“A social expense that offers 55 euros a year to those born in Reggio Calabria and 177 to those born in Verona cannot be considered an” old problem “to which one can also get used: it is a disgrace to democracy and constitutional principles that we celebrate in every public speech, on every civil occasion “. This was denounced by the Minister for the South, Mara Carfagna in a hearing at the Parliamentary Commission for the implementation of fiscal federalism.
Put an end to the criterion of historical expenditure
There are “data, numbers, percentages, behind which the daily life of almost 20 million Italians residing in the South is at stake, often condemned only by residence alone to be born, live, work, become old, without enjoying the rights guaranteed to any other citizen. It’s an old problem, I know. But personally I don’t intend to resign myself to the look of habit. We are working together with other ministries – added Carfagna – to achieve ever higher goals to allow a recovery of the historical gap. I count on the fact that the legislative initiative “linked to the funds of the National recovery and resilience plan, “With respect to years of inertia, put an end to historical spending, starting with services for nursery schools”.
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Territorial gaps unacceptable
Based on the most recent ISTAT data, underlined Mara Carfagna, the offer of social assistance services presents enormous territorial gaps: from 22 euros per capita in Calabria to 540 in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano. “A difference unworthy of a Civil country. Social spending in the South is much lower than in the rest of Italy: 58 euros per capita per year against a national average of 124 euros. The Islands, driven by Sardinia, reach 122 euros per capita, the North-West stands at 133, the Center at 137 and the Northeast at 177 ”.
«This – says Carfagna – must indign us and can no longer get us used to it. Healing this scar is the task on which the current ruling class will be measured, from the top of the government to the mayor of the smallest of the southern municipalities. We have the resources, we have – finally – European solidarity and we will soon have a complex of reforms that will allow us to act quickly. Achieving the results that the South and all of Italy await is not a mere “opportunity” but a democratic obligation, and we must feel it as such ».
The LEP is an obligatory road to overcome inequalities
According to the Minister for the South, “giving a content to the LEP (essential levels of performance, ed.) And establishing the minimum level of use on the national territory will allow, because we will work on it, to bring out which municipalities are unable to ensure the essentials of performance and therefore allocate resources where it is most necessary to invest them. This is an obligatory path to overcome the heavy inequalities between the North and South of the country and make fiscal federalism possible, efficient and sustainable ». The process of fiscal federalism “must be implemented and completed not in a logic of localistic selfishness – he continued – but in a logic of national solidarity. I am not opposed to differentiated autonomy as long as it does not mean penalizing the weakest areas of the country which are not only the southern regions, but also the internal areas and the mountain and border areas. If you ask me if the differentiated autonomy must be conditioned to the essential levels of performance, I answer yes. It must also be conditioned on compliance with the principle of efficiency ».