In Cosenza, as in every square meter of our country, we will demonstrate, we will shout and we will make our voices heard to say No to a differentiated autonomy that aims to create class A and class B citizens».
As Francesco Silvestri, group leader of the Five Star Movement in the Chamber in the city for a public initiative, organized at the CGIL, against the Calderoli bill on Autonomy. Among those present in the M5S delegation were also deputies Anna Laura Orrico, Dario Carotenuto, Antonio Caso and Andrea Quartini.
Among the participants were also mayors of municipalities in the Cosentino area, movements belonging to the left and citizen associations. The procession started from Piazza Loreto and ended near the Prefecture. «We said – said Angelo Sposato, general secretary of the CGIL Calabria who coordinated the demonstration – that differentiated autonomy is a problem that concerns the country, not just the South. It is not enough to talk about Lep, the problem is of principle, it is how this reform project was proposed which continues to increase the divergences and inequalities of the country, especially on sensitive issues such as healthcare, work, infrastructure.”
«The government should withdraw it and above all the President of the Region should change his mind. Today – he added regarding the absence of CISL and UIL – it is a demonstration that in some way brings together a cartel of associations, but there are also other trade unions opposed to this differentiated autonomy reform project, we are moving forward together and we have having said that if the law were to reach Parliament we are also ready to start mobilizing for the referendum campaign. We are together on these issues. Yesterday we had a wonderful initiative on safety at work in Florence and in May there will be a great national mobilization in Naples on autonomy that we will also do together with Uil”. For the mayor of Cosenza Franz Caruso, autonomy «will create a fracture, a laceration of the country. Twenty small states will arise and will have a decisive impact on important issues such as healthcare, transport, energy, the environment and infrastructure.” For the secretary of the CGIL Cosenza Massimiliano Ianni, the law is «subversive, it will create greater gaps between North and South and further inconveniences and problems for this region which is already behind in comparison to those of the South and is far behind in comparison to those of the North . Public healthcare risks disappearing in favor of wild privatisation. Some data from the last few hours attest that in Calabria there is a mortality rate 20% higher than in the north. With differentiated autonomy everything will certainly get worse. We will continue to treat those who have the opportunity to be treated. So the rich will certainly be able to get treatment, the poor risk dying from this bad healthcare.”
Archbishop Cosenza in a procession against autonomy, solidarity is needed
«The Church stands for solidarity and subsidiarity». The metropolitan archbishop of Cosenza-Bisignano, Monsignor Giovanni Checchinato, said this, speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the procession, in which the prelate participated, promoted by the CGIL against differentiated autonomy. “I am sure that we will talk to President Occhiuto on these issues”, added Monsignor Checchinato in response to a question on the position taken by the governor of Calabria regarding the Calderoli bill. “Interlocutions and dialogue – the archbishop continued – are always important”.
Photogallery edited by Franco Arena