The 660 million expected from 2022 for university accommodation will be released: Palazzo Chigi, in a note, explains that the CDM has authorized the presentation of an amendment to confirm the immediate effectiveness of the measures “which allocate 660 million euros to the acquisition of the availability of new beds in lodgings or residences for students of the institutions of higher education”. The amendment comes after an “interlocution with the European Commission which made it possible to exclude the nature of state aid” of these interventions.
“During today’s session, the Council of Ministers – reads the note – authorized, on a proposal from the Minister for European Affairs, the South, Cohesion Policies and the Pnrr, Raffaele Fitto, the presentation of two government amendments to the bill converting the decree – law n. 44 of 2023, currently under examination by the Chamber of Deputies (AC 1114)”, the so-called PA decree. “The first amendment – specifies the note – concerns the incentive measures for the so-called housing introduced by Article 25 of Decree-Law No. 144 of 2022 and is aimed at aligning the regulatory text with the results of the discussions with the European Commission, defined yesterday, which made it possible to exclude its nature of State aid. The amendment confirms, also at the legislative level, the immediate effectiveness of the aforementioned measures which allocate 660 million euros” for university accommodation. The other amendment concerns the promotion of gender equality in the public procurement sector.
While the protest of university students against high rents is spreading throughout Italy, the minister intervenes again Bernini. “We have asked for a census of unused properties so that they can be made available to students”, the university and research minister told Radio 24, who also explained: “There is a problem finding available properties in the province “. “I asked for collaboration starting from the state property, the Municipalities and the mayors of the metropolitan areas – added Bernini -. We arrived a few months ago and have already put 400 million on the table for student accommodation and 500 million for scholarships : it is almost a billion on the budget law. Then we will also pass on to the funds of the Pnrr. We guarantee at the moment for the assignment of an additional 7,500 beds. We have 40,000 beds. This is already speeding up, but we want to move forward on this “.
ANSA agency
Ilaria Lamera’s initiative in the Lombard capital has spread among university students (ANSA)
The protest of the students in front of the Ministry
The students lead the protest, which has begun in Milan on the initiative of the student Ilaria Lamera, against high rents under the Ministry. After having camped all over Italy in front of the universities, now the young Roman university students have been, since the morning, with their tents in front of the Ministry of University and Research: “We are tired. And now “study, home and income”, say the guys from the group Cambiare Rotta. “After Milan, Bologna, Florence, Turin and other cities, and after the tents also appeared in Rome in front of the University of Tor Vergata, we decided to bring the protest directly to the Ministry of University and Research.
In tents at the Sapienza against high rents, the protest of the students arrives in Rome
Our requests all go in the direction of developing and implementing policies and tools that serve to truly guarantee the right to study for everyone. We invite all students of all universities to continuous and permanent mobilization!”, reiterate the university students.
ANSA agency
Immobiliare.it and Facile.it data: +11% in prices in one year (ANSA)
political statements
“On the problem of high rents, we will present a resolution in the Culture and University Commission. We will convene the student associations and the competent ministers, as well as the authorities of the local authorities and the Regions. We must solve this problem that afflicts many Italian students throughout the nation for the complete realization of the right to study, a theme that has been neglected up to now”. This was declared by the President of the Culture and University Commission of the Chamber Federico Mollicone (FdI) and the group leader of FDI in the Commission, Alessandro Amorese.
“Minister Valditara’s statements – explains Camilla Piredda, coordinator of the UDU – made us very angry because they gave the sign of a policy unable to assume its responsibilities. For this reason, today we are not giving up but rather we are doubling down with demonstrations in eight university towns”. Just yesterday evening, the student union wrote to Minister Bernini and asked for the urgent convening of a table at the university ministry aimed at finding solutions to the housing crisis.
Meanwhile, the mobilization against the housing crisis does not stop.
The Unione degli Universitari announces for initiatives in eight different university cities: Milan, Pavia, Padua, Venice, Bologna, Perugia, Florence and Rome. Instead, the tents in Turin and Cagliari have been dismantled, while they will arrive in Trento on Friday. In the city of Trento, the UDU has called a mobilization in front of the Palazzo della Provincia, in Piazza Dante. “We will start with a flash mob that you can all join and tell your story and we will continue to stay there, in tents.
Protests are also mounting in Bari and the students organized a flash mob in Piazza Cesare Battisti, in front of the Faculty of Law of the Aldo Moro University. The students of Link Bari explain the situation: “Living in Bari has become a luxury – they say – what should be a right is increasingly becoming a privilege, hindering the right to study”. The students denounce rents “drastically increased: on average each student pays more than 300 euros per month for rent alone – they continue – to which must be added the costs deriving from university taxation, those for teaching materials, those for utilities and for daily expenses”.
Today in Florence, where various tents were pitched yesterday at the Polo delle Scienze Sociali, in the Novoli district, and today in the cloister of the Humanistic Library in Piazza Brunelleschi there was the first table, convened by Mayor Dario Nardella at Palazzo Vecchio. “The problem is now, there are 700 students who do not have accommodation”, said Riccardo Pisoni, Udu student representative in the Academic Senate. It is necessary that there is an active participation of the Municipality”, concluded Pisoni.
“It was a useful and in-depth meeting”, said Mayor Dario Nardella, commenting on today’s meeting with the new student representatives of the University. Nardella, reads a note from the Municipality, has given his support and solidarity to the students. “We parted ways – he declared – with the commitment to maintain contact and organize further meetings”.
THE INITIATIVE IN GENOA
Bernini, more accesses to Medicine, hypothesis 19 thousand in 2023
“The number of admissions to medical school at universities will increase this year.” Thus the minister of universities and research, Anna Maria Bernini, on Radio 24. The minister also confirmed the numbers of new accesses announced today by the newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore according to which the draft of a report by the technicians speaks of 19,000 seats for 2023 (compared to the current 14,787 currently envisaged for tests in Italian) and 30,000 more by 2030. “The meaning of this opening is planned on needs – added Bernini – We cannot open indiscriminately, but certainly the commission has worked out how many doctors will be needed on the basis of this data and on certain types of doctors. We will have to continue to verify how many numbers are needed and on which specializations “. “I confirm the increase in admissions to the Faculty of Medicine in the coming years”, continues Minister Bernini. Ministry sources specify that the minister’s statements referred to the increase of 30,000 admissions to Medicine in the coming years, but did not enter into the merits of the number of 19,000 admissions for the next academic year. The final report will be presented next week.
Support from the Vatican
He also intervenes on the matter the CEI vice president and bishop of Cassano, mgr. Francis Savino, on the sidelines of a press conference in the Vatican on the protest of students over high rents. “I share this mild, civilized protest which says to adults and especially to those who have political responsibilities: do you realize that we can’t do it?”. “Paying 800-900 euros for a room…the risk is creating the conditions for a social revolt”. “It’s a real, authentic protest, it responds to an objective need, let’s try to listen to them”. The bishop said that the question will be at the center of the CEI assembly at the end of May. “We cannot fail to allow ourselves to be questioned, we want to listen to needs, especially starting with young people”.