Latest skirmishes before the truth of the polls. During the television confrontation on SkyTg24, the candidates for the presidency of Calabria, the president of the outgoing region Roberto Occhiuto (center -right) and the MEPs Pasquale Tridico (progressive field), measured themselves on various central issues for the region: health, work, infrastructure, differentiated autonomy and foreign policy.
Healthcare
Occhiuto claimed the results obtained during his mandate: “Unfortunately, health does not work throughout the country, in Calabria even less because we started from less than a thousand. Now we have created the conditions to get out of the commissioner. I reopened hospitals such as Praia and Cariati, hired 5 thousand people, brought 400 Cuban doctors and started construction sites for hospitals never built despite dozens of first stones ».
Tridico replied by accusing the center -right of having weakened the health system: «During the four years of Occhiuto the money to the Northern regions increased by 63 million. With Scopelliti 18 hospitals were closed, many doctors escaped and the territories were deprived of resources. The hospitals are only promised today: in Palmi, Vibo or Sibari there are unfinished construction sites. At least 3 thousand doctors and nurses are immediately needed ».
Palestine
On the conflict in the Middle East, Occhiuto said: «I find it dishonest to use Gaza to steal votes. It is a humanitarian tragedy, but the recognition of the state of Palestine is a national, non -regional question. If it serves to show solidarity, we will vote for a document in the Council as long as Hamas and the terrorists are excluded ».
Tridico instead promised a direct commitment: «The genocide in Gaza is unacceptable. Calabria, if I am elected, will recognize the state of Palestine. It is a moral duty and a political signal ». He also expressed solidarity with Global Sumud Flotilla activists.
Infrastructure and bridge over the Strait
On the bridge, the two candidates have divided. Tridico has hardly criticized the project: «In Calabria there are no roads, bridges and high speeds. Thinking of combining two coasts ignoring the isolated internal areas is absurd. Salvini even wants to pay him to the Calabrians ». Instead, he proposed to “federate the South” with connections between Reggio Calabria, Bari and Naples.
Legality and justice
Tridico said: “If I had postponed to trial, I would immediately resign, out of respect for the Calabrians.” He accused Occhiuto of not resigned after the warranty warning, choosing instead of recovering. He also promised intended with the prosecutors “in the wake of experience in INPS”.
End
On the theme of the end of life, Occhiuto has taken on a liberal position than its coalition: «I believe that in issues that concern life and death the institutions must enter as little as possible. Parliament must legislate, but in the regional council I will leave freedom of consciousness ».
Work
Tridico has denounced the dramatic situation: «In the last ten years 65% of Calabrian graduates have emigrated. The employment rate is 48%, against 75% European, and half of the population is at risk of poverty ». To counter the emergency proposed “a large public recruitment plan: 10 thousand under 40 hires, 3 thousand cultural operators to reopen museums, foundations and libraries, and 7 thousand environmental operators to counter fire and hydrogeological instability”. He also relaunched the idea of dignity income, a 500 euro support for people who are no longer young but still occupable.
Occhiuto, on the other hand, proposed an income of merit: “500 euros per month for each graduate that remains to study in Calabria, provided that it maintains an average of the 27. It is the real alternative to citizenship income, which has failed”.
Differentiated autonomy
Tridico expressed strong opposition: «The autonomy would broaden even more the north-south gap. Occhiuto approved her at the State-Regions conference: it is very serious. I want to combine the South, do not split Italy ».
Immigration
For the progressive candidate immigration is “a resource, as shown by the Riace model of Mimmo Lucano. In Calabria, depopulation community benefited from integration ». He called the CDM held in Cutro after the shipwreck in which 94 people died, including 37 children.