Just 24 hours after the opening of the IT platform to collect online signatures for the referendum on differentiated autonomythe promoters celebrate over 100 thousand signatures for the question.
A figure that makes the goal of 500 thousand signatures achievable by September 30, as required by law, and that pushes the organizers to start working on the mobilization in view of the polls. Questions arise instead for the majority and the government, which according to the law, cannot avoid opening negotiations for agreements with the two Regions that are further along in the process, Veneto and Lombardy, for the possible devolution of functions that do not require the Lep, starting with those on health professions. Some of the promoters are celebrating the achievement of 100 thousand signatures in a few hours, such as Angelo Bonelli (Avs) or the M5s parliamentarians who opposed the law in the Chambers (Enrica Alifano, Carmela Auriemma, Roberto Cataldi, Alfonso Colucci, Alessandra Maiorino and Pasqualino Penza): “we imagine – the latter stated – that at the rate at which the signatures are proceeding, President Meloni is sweating coldly. And this is only the beginning”.
In fact, the focus is not only on electronic signatures, but also on traditional methods, namely on paper ones at the stands, as explained by Christian Ferrari, of the national secretariat of the Cgil and one of the promoters of the referendum. “For us,” said Ferrari, “it is a priority to talk to people: to inform, involve, explain to make the battle democratic, with the aim of involving the 25 million citizens needed to overcome the referendum quorum, and to make the battle collective and aware.” “The main obstacle to winning the referendum,” observed Ferrari, “is not the orientation with respect to this law, but the citizens’ lack of knowledge.” “We have started this signature collection,” exults the Democratic leader Elly Schlein, “with many other opposition forces, political, social, associative and trade union forces and we are very happy that in this first week of stands and signature collection, including online, there are already many people who want to give a signal and lend a hand to convince just as many people to go and vote for this referendum. This way we block this wicked plan that increases the inequalities that we need to reduce instead.” For the centre-right there is a first image problem, especially for Fdi: that of passing as the parties against the unity of the country. In this sense, representatives of the majority such as Minister Adolfo Urso or Flavio Tosi, have stated that Autonomy is instead “an opportunity”.
“It will be useful to the South,” concluded Urso. After the examination on Friday at the Council of Ministers of the requests for agreement already submitted by the Regions, there will be a further review on August 7. The spotlight is on those of Veneto and Lombardy which, based on the transitional provision of the Calderoli law (article 11), will start from the pre-agreement reached in 2019 with the Conte 1 government. In the 23 matters devolvable by the State to the Regions, 500 different functions have been identified, approximately 200 of which do not require the definition of Lep to open negotiations. The most delicate ones concern the professions, and in particular the health professions, which if devolved – as explained by the governor of Campania Vincenzo De Luca, currently on tour in the North – would open up competition to grab doctors and nurses, currently in short supply throughout Italy. If Minister Calderoli wants to push the accelerator for agreements on these functions, it will be up to Prime Minister Meloni, always on the basis of the law on autonomy (article 2), to give the go-ahead or oppose a “non possumus”.