Bignami on tour for the Meloni government: "Flood, hydraulic works were needed. Even de Pascale admits it..."

The Brothers of Italy tour is underway to take stock of the Meloni government 's midterms. Yesterday, in Porretta Terme, with MEP Stefano Cavedagna and the group leader in the Region Marta Evangelisti, there was also the group leader of FdI in the Chamber, Galeazzo Bignami from Bologna. Many topics, from international politics to floods , from infrastructure to the 2027 municipal elections .

Bignami, two years have passed since the flood and the governor Michele de Pascale has announced the plan: three flood basins to save Romagna. What do you think?

"I appreciate de Pascale's intellectual honesty. He confirms that they will be able to contain even exceptional events such as the flood of 2023. This shows that if these hydraulic works had been in place, the serious damage of two years ago would not have occurred. I don't want to create controversy, I'm not saying that de Pascale is responsible, but finally even the left admits it. Now we are working to secure the territory. The appointment of Curcio and the flood decree are going in this direction".

Do you think there were shortcomings on the part of the Region?

"I'm just saying that de Pascale confirmed what we have always maintained: the shock could have been withstood with adequate works. Not only that: we had also asked the Region about the state of the hydrographic network before 2023 to intervene promptly, but it never answered us. Now the parliamentary commission of inquiry into hydrogeological instability is dealing with it".

In recent days there has been talk again about the Passante. You who were also Deputy Minister of Infrastructures, do you think that in the end it will be done or not?

"The Passante di Mezzo is not a solution, but it risks worsening the problem. Some local institutions – which make every battle ideological – ask for collaboration and then insult us from morning to night. We have always been clear: no to the Passante di Mezzo. Of course, as an executive, we respect the institutional chain, but asking FdI for support for a harmful and useless work is unacceptable".

Looking at the metropolitan city, there are other infrastructures that the territory requires...

"In Porretta we talked about the Gaggio Tech case, but also about infrastructures capable of making mountain territories competitive and attractive for both entrepreneurs and work. Hence the discussion on the link road".

Do you mean the Reno-Setta link road?

"Yes, but that's not the only issue. What we want are projects to compare and then let the territories choose, hoping that the institutions row in the same direction. If that's not the case, we'll find ourselves with yet another missed opportunity for the mountains. A bit like the decision not to proceed with the Passante Sud".

Returning to the Meloni government: what do you think of the criticisms of Italy's isolation at an international level?

"At the European level, it is the first time that we have an executive vice president, Raffaele Fitto, with very heavy delegations. Not to mention the relationship that Palazzo Chigi has with the White House. If the left wants the government to participate in sending Italian troops, with women and men to the front in Ukraine, we are not available".

Do you consider the controversy instrumental?

"If Meloni takes a picture with Trump it's not good, if she doesn't take a picture with Macron and others it's another problem. I understand that those who spend money on the armocromist look at the appearance and not the substance. We don't".

Will FdI's national data be able to drive the 2027 municipal elections? Does Bologna see it as a contender?

"At the national level we have a program of 15 chapters with 149 paragraphs. Just take a look at it to understand that we are carrying out a revolution, but nevertheless we are already looking at what to do in the future. For the administrative elections in Bologna each election has its own story. There are still two years to go, so Lepore has margins (little!) to do worse, but also to remedy his mistakes".