Over an hour of discussion, in the closed Palazzo Chigi, to design the near future of Calabria and reconnect the threads of a relationship that has been frayed in recent times. A few days ago Roberto Occhiuto he crossed the threshold of the Palace overlooking Palazzo Colonna with the awareness of being the protagonist of a double challenge. On the one hand, that of trying to achieve some important results on the (many) open fronts in the Region he leads, perhaps with the support of the national executive, on the other, that of sending within his party (Forza Italia), that is, to offer outsiders tangible proof of the harmony that binds the Calabrese president and vice secretary of the blue party to the prime minister Georgia Melonidespite rumours of cracks in the relationship linked to different visions on some reforms such as that of differentiated autonomy.
Of course, it is not known whether the meeting was born at the explicit invitation of the Prime Minister or whether it was the governor who asked for an audience with the center-right leader. But it is a detail of little importance compared to the important and numerous issues on the table. Starting from healthcare. There is no official confirmation, also because the respective staff who handle relations with the media have been given the mandate not to provide particular information on the matter, but certainly the topic has come up in the confrontation between the two. Moreover, Occhiuto is aware that the main challenge of his mandate at the Cittadella is being played out on this terrain and for this reason he has renewed the request to have a government available to support – especially from a regulatory point of view – an action that is complex from several points of view. During the meeting, mention was made of the possibility of Calabria exiting the sector’s 14-year-old receivership. An eventuality hoped for on several occasions, and also publicly, by Occhiuto and which would not encounter any particular obstacles in Rome. However, the road ahead is not simple. While it is true that from an accounting point of view there has been some progress – proof of this is the approval of the 2022 consolidated budget, pending the opinion of a third certifier, and the final work on the 2023 financial statements of Asp and Ao -, much still remains to be done in terms of assistance and healthcare provision and, therefore, in the above-sufficient Lea provision. The main public facilities are struggling, crushed by the weight of staff shortages and pockets of inefficiency that are difficult to eliminate.
