“For a centre-right governor to open a discussion within his coalition on such an important issue as differentiated autonomy is certainly not convenient.
Calderoli’s original text did not provide for the possibility of deferring agreements until definition of Lepthose are changes that I had introduced by the parliamentarians and ministers of Forza Italia, and I claim this as a merit”.
He said it Roberto Occhiuto, President of the Calabria Region and vice national secretary of Forza Italia, speaking at a debate on differentiated autonomy organised with some governors at the Cgil Basilicata partyunderway in Matera.
“The Calderoli law was and remains a law that has two wagons: differentiated autonomy, which is a possibility offered by the Constitution; and social and civil rights to be guaranteed equally throughout the country, the latter being an obligation. I have never changed my opinion, since the first Conference of the Regions that discussed this issue: if through the Calderoli law we obtain the overcoming of historical expenditure, this is a great result for the South. At the moment, however, only the wagon of differentiated autonomy has arrived at the station. For the definition and financing of the Lep we are still a dear friend.
But in recent weeks, thanks to the debate that has opened up also in the center-right, the mood has changed in the coalition and especially within my party regarding differentiated autonomy. The law says that it is possible to make agreements only after the definition of the Lep, but there are nine matters that cannot be ‘lepizable’ on which we could instead proceed immediately. I have asked to stop and wait.
I gave an example, later taken up by my secretary Antonio Tajani, relating to foreign trade. What happens to farmers or wine producers in Calabria or Campania if five Regions become autonomous on foreign trade? Nobody knows. So an impact assessment is needed first. Some say that these nine are minor matters. So why do we have to make agreements? This is why I asked the government for a moratorium: first we define and finance the Lep and then we make agreements on everything, on Lep matters and on non-Lep matters.
I am not afraid of autonomy, but I would like to avoid, and I say this to my coalition, giving a flag that does not solve the problems of Italians, neither in the South nor in the North.. This differentiated autonomy will also be contested in the North, because the Calderoli text does not provide for the fiscal residue, and soon the citizens of the North will also realize this”.