22 May 2006

Interview with il Corriere della Sera

Today I spoke to Enrico Marro of il Corriere della Sera. I’m publishing the whole interview here.

ADP: Let it be clear: If I’m in the position of Minister of infrastructure, it is to deal with public works.
And for this reason, Antonio Di Pietro, returning 10 years later to the big office building at Porta Pia, as his first decision he has nominated as the head of his Cabinet Vincenzo Fortunato, who was in a similar position for the former Minister of the Economy, Giulio Tremonti.

EM: That’s a surprising choice.
ADP: We’re talking of a magistrate who worked with Visco before Tremonti. He is so capable that both the Centre Left and the Centre Right have taken advantage of his talents. I knew him when I was a magistrate. But I chose him also because I will need to have daily interaction with the Ministry of the Economy.

EM: Why?
ADP: Because I can construct public works only if the money is available, if it’s allocated to the appropriate budgets, if it’s not “creative”. And who better than Fortunato who can stay alert to all this?

EM: In the North, there’s fear that there’ll be a slowing down or even a stop to public works.
ADP: Romano Prodi has put as the top priority, the revival of the economy and of the Mezzogiorno {the South of Italy}. The infrastructures are fundamental for competitiveness. But first we have to get a hold on the money situation. This is why I’ve already set up two working groups. The first is to see how much money is really available. The second is to monitor the public works that are currently being done and to see how they are progressing. This is also being done for those that have not yet been started.

EM: And will the TAV in Val di Susa go ahead?
ADP: Let me finish what I was saying. Within 60 days I will go with the appropriate General Directors, to each Region to meet the governors, the administrations, the associations, the trades unions of the locality to see how to revive the infrastructures. In this way we will do a plan for the priority activity and I will take that to the Council of Ministers and to the Parliamentary Commissions. This is why I deplore the declarations of one Minister or another who say: “This will be done and that won’t.”

EM: The TAV?
ADP: The TAV is a collection of national and international activities approved by the European Commission and necessary for the country. We need to see how we can put it all into action while respecting the environment and the health of the population with the resources that are available.

EM: You normally speak clearly, but as regards infrastructure all the Centre Left seems ambiguous. Even in relation to the Bridge over the Straits, what does it mean that it isn’t a priority? You may as well say that it won’t go ahead.
ADP: The Bridge on its own would have no sense. To connect Trapani with Northern Europe isn’t feasible, but we need to see if the Bridge is a priority in relation to the Salerno-Reggio Calabria, to the Brescia-Milano, to the ring roads round the big cities. To simplify something into “This will be done and that won’t.” is a play on words that plays on the feelings of the citizens.

EM: The Transport Minister, Alessandro Bianchi, has been clear. He said the Bridge will not be done.
ADP: This is not something I decide, nor do any of the other individual Ministers decide. It’s a decision to be taken by the whole Government and by Parliament. That is why I talk of hurried declarations. There’s no conflict between Bianchi and me. In fact we are going to meet up on Monday to discuss who is going to deal with what. It’ll be necessary to turn to the Ministry of Public Works for some things and to the Transport Ministry for others.

EM: Has this been a way of parcelling out Ministries so as to give an “armchair” to the Pdci?
ADP: History will tell whether the parcelling out was the correct choice. It’s necessary to divide up competencies, personnel and resources. I hope that all this will happen not in years, in months but in a few days.

EM: Is it true that you will not delegate responsibilities to the vice minister Angelo Capodicasa?
ADP: Capodicasa, you say. There’s an agreement with President Prodi by which there will be no vice ministers in my Ministry. There’ll be just under secretaries, because the centre of political responsibility must be one.

EM: Italia dei Valori has voted its confidence in the government, but the problem of finding a position for Leoluca Orlando has not been resolved.
ADP: Orlando is not a problem but a resource. As soon as possible, he will be used to his full capacity.

EM: Minister, Prodi has announced the halving of the auto blu {dark blue cars used for important government dignitaries}.
ADP: I’ve already taken action in this respect. I will only use the service car when I’m carrying out my duties. I have already asked for an account of how many cars there are and who uses them and why. Do you know something? Yesterday I had to go to Brindisi for the election campaign and at the Ministry they offered me the chance to use the State aeroplane. Obviously I refused.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics