The Sicilian Region “reopens” the Strait of Messina, despite the ban by the government of Rome on “no green passes”. From 2 pm even those who are not vaccinated or vaccinated who do not yet have the Super Green Pass can cross the Strait, albeit with ad hoc measures: remain locked in the car or, for those who get on the ship like cross-border commuters, stay in the spaces outside. open of the ferry, spaced apart and with the Ffp2 mask worn. This is what is foreseen by the ordinance signed in the late morning by the president of the Nello Musumeci Region who on Sunday evening, after the start of the protest at the Rada San Francesco jetties of the mayor of Messina Cateno De Luca, had written to the Minister of Health Roberto Speranza urging a problem solution within 24 hours. But nothing happened and Musumeci signed his order this morning, triggering yet another clash with the national government. The provision will remain in force “until the end of the state of emergency”. This, at least for those who have to leave Sicily. Because the checks for those who must enter the island are carried out at the landing stages of Villa San Giovanni and Reggio Calabria, where obviously the competence is not of the Sicilian authorities.
In a press release, the Sicilian Region explains that the measure was adopted “in order to guarantee and safeguard territorial continuity, access and use of maritime means of public transport for crossing the Strait of Messina as well as for connections to and from the Sicilian minor islands ». In reality, the smaller islands already had a derogation from the stringent rules of Rome on the Super Green Pass. However, no one seemed to have thought about the situation of the island-regions, such as Sicily and Sardinia, which can only be reached by ship or by plane and in both cases, those who do not have the Super Green Pass cannot make the crossing, except “by means own “. As the former magistrate Angelo Giorgianni did in recent days, “No Vax” declared, who took a ride to Calabria from a small fishing boat to return to Sicily.
«Let’s put an end – said President Musumeci – to an absurd injustice especially to the detriment of Sicilian passengers. A discriminatory rule of the central government to which we have already been appealing for two weeks, so that it can be remedied. It is absurd that in the Peninsula every citizen without a vaccine can move from one region to another, while to pass from Sicily to Calabria one must show the green certificate. Everyone knows that I have never been generous with “No Vax”, but here even the belonging of Sicily to the rest of Italy is questioned. I want to hope that my colleague Occhiuto from Calabria – to whom I announced my initiative – also intends to adopt the same measure. Rome must stop appearing arrogant or distracted towards the rights of the Sicilians ».
Now we await the move of the resigning mayor (because he wants to run for president of the Region) of Messina, Cateno De Luca, who has been in garrison in front of the jetties since Sunday, sleeping in tents, precisely to solicit a measure that would ensure territorial continuity between Sicily and rest of Italy. Just today De Luca announced that he had started a hunger strike. Musumeci’s provision should satisfy him but it was De Luca who urged him several times, even acting against national provisions. There has never been good blood between the two Sicilian administrators and even if they are on the same side of the front in this battle, relations between the two remain very bad. It is no coincidence that De Luca, a center-right exponent, has decided to run for the Region against Musumeci who is part of the same, albeit divided and quarrelsome, deployment. «Now let’s see if any raspberry arrives from Rome – said ironically De Luca, who this morning received the president of Ars Gianfranco Micciché on a visit to the port -. The president of the Region gave birth to the bullshit and even out of time … the provocations must be made at the right times. If he had made this ordinance on January 9th I would have told him “You are my idol.” Instead I wonder why he made me do three days here … I hope he has heard with his counterpart from Calabria because the Sicilians who are stationary beyond the Strait, what are they doing now? Musumeci you also forgot about the planes. Make an integration ».