The currently most thorny issue for Calabrian politics will not be on the agenda of the next meeting of the Regional Council. The majority group leaders, in yesterday’s meeting, opted for a wait-and-see position: we remain at the window of the Mercure power plant. The center-right line prevails, according to which it could be the Government that takes the chestnuts out of the fire.
Watch out for the consultation
Therefore, the two proposals – one from the majority councilors – remain in the “freezer”. Giuseppe Graziano, Francesco De Nisi (Action) and Katya Gentile (League) and the other of the Democratic Party – for the repeal of article 14 of regional law 36/2024, which introduces the ban on building energy production plants powered by biomass in the national and regional parks of Calabria with a power exceeding 10 MW thermal and also imposes the obligation for existing plants to reduce power within six months, under penalty of revocation of the authorizations. The de profundis for the Laino Borgo power plant, in short, against which Sorgenia has already mobilized (appeal to the TAR) as well as various Municipalities of the Pollino and parties of both the right and the left, which in a transversal way agree on the maintaining the power of the site and the need to safeguard employment together with related industries.
The most “heavy” variable could close the case even before any other decision by Palazzo Campanella: the Government, considering the issue to be within state competence, has already announced the challenge to the Constitutional Court of the contested provision, the so-called “Laghi rule” (from the name of the DeMa group leader in the Regional Council) on which it has never hidden its approval of governor Occhiuto. The choice to stall, therefore, could be suggested to the majority precisely by the possibility that the issue will be resolved without even (re)passing through Calabria.
Password “dilute”
Outside the next session, which the group leaders have agreed to convene for January 21st, there will also be other sensitive dossiers for the majority, which prefers to take time and let the current tensions settle. The president Filippo Mancuso is currently drawing up the agenda, but rumors (almost certainties) are leaking from Palazzo Campanella about the postponement of the measures for the introduction of the figure of the “substitute” regional councilor and the 30% limit for external councilors in the Council, as well as for the creation of in-house digital and energy companies, ReDigit and Arec respectively.