The One City… dividesThe political world does not have a united position on the Law approved by the regional council on July 26th.
In the center-left, despite the project having passed on the proposal of the Democratic Party, the differences are many. The Five Star Movement has soundly rejected the idea, as represented and implemented, calling the referendum “bogus”. Among the socialists, the “distinctions” of the mayor of the capital, Franz Caruso, and the former mayor of Rende, Sandro Principe (the latter has spoken of an authoritarian act) are evident.
And in the center-right? The coalition appears compact and includes the Calendians of “Azione” in the project. In the League, Simona Loizzo, a parliamentarian from Cosenza and the first creator of a merger project that was opposed last year, speaks.
Honorable Loizzo, you are a supporter of the single city: why does the project convince you?
«I was the first signatory of the law calling for a referendum between Cosenza and Rende and I remain of the opinion that the single city is the greatest novelty in regional geopolitics, antagonizing the weight of the metropolitan city of Reggio in the north of Calabria».
Not everyone thinks like you. Is there a point in the founding law that should be changed instead?
“Let’s start with a consideration: a mixed electorate is always a great opportunity to give birth to new leadership. The regret I feel is linked to the implementation date: 2027 is too far away and in between there will be elections, after the period of the mafia commissionership, for the renewal of the Rende city council. In short, we would go to the polls to elect a mayor who would then fall as a result of the referendum and any new elections”.
What political pitfalls could the birth of the great city hide?
«Those who think of the Single City as a new micro-potentate to be put on the table with respect to other electoral appointments – I am thinking of the Regionals as well as the renewal of the Metropolitan City of Reggio – I believe do not fully understand the great historical significance of the Single City, with a single hospital, shared transport systems, historic centers and cultural centers wonderfully networked.»
Would you run for mayor?
«Yes, I believe that today in light of the great success my party had in the European elections, 9 percent in Cosenza, it could certainly be an opportunity to support by looking at healthcare and economic recovery in the three municipalities».