"Since there were the party conferences of the DS and Margherita last week, the Council of Ministers met on Tuesday. Thus last Friday there was a lot of talk and the day before yesterday we did something concrete and I would say, better.
We made decisions relating to 3 important topics: the environment, water in relation to the problem of drought, and immigration.
The measure taken on immigration is very delicate. It’s not perfect but it is the framework of the revision of the Bossi-Fini law and sets out a system with many barriers and filters.
Let’s say straight away that we have not opened the doors to anybody. We too want to avoid indiscriminate immigration and we want to know who is living on our territory and what they are doing.
The main new factor: The CPTs, places of detention also offering assistance, have been eliminated; the role of tutor has been created. Someone who calls an immigrant into the country and takes on responsibility for them.
Think of the domestic workers in families, of those who help older people. Immigration is not just about criminality, though that exists and must be tackled as must the phenomenon of clandestines. Immigration is also functional to the life of our country and our families
We have also set out the right to become a citizen. On this point, we of Italia dei Valori hope that Parliament will focus its attention. Currently the regulation states “if you know Italian culture, after a certain period you can gain citizenship”. I feel that it should say something like: “if you recognise yourself in Italian culture, after a certain period, if you are paying taxes and you have work, you can call yourself an Italian citizen”.
The Council of Ministers then tackled the topic of the environment, or rather, the so-called environmental crimes, about which there was a legislative gap. Everyone says that we should respect the environment, and we mustn’t pollute and ruin the health of the citizens, but penalties were absent.
We have laid out a series of sanctions and crimes, including associating to commit a crime aimed at destroying the environment. We have to understand that whoever has to get rid of toxic substances cannot casually use common spaces.
There are actually criminal organisations that operate on behalf of third parties to sort out toxic substances, and at times damaging the aquifers in such a way that polluted water is taken to the homes of citizens. We want these people to be sent to prison.
Finally we discussed the topic of drought, without right now taking any precise actions. But we did gather in reports from the Ministries and the relevant bodies, and first from the person responsible for Civil Protection, Bertolaso.
In recent days, all the media have been raising the alarm about drought. We need to be careful: sometimes an alarm can cause more damage than the actual danger.
We have understood that in fact we don’t risk “dying of thirst”.
It’s true that the level of water in the dams is lower than the planned level and it’s true that there is a problem of leaks of water in the country. 30% of the water leaks away from the distribution system before it arrives at our homes.
Let it be clear however, that we are not at risk of being without drinking water. The problem is a matter of rational use of water resources for the agricultural sector, and thus in paying attention to the fair distribution of water.
I’m saying this because, even in important newspapers, it has been said that we should not get washed in the morning and we should not change so as to save water.
Let’s not exaggerate. In Italy we will not die of thirst. There are other much more serous causes, like road traffic accidents, for causing deaths in Italy.
For water resources, we have prepared a plan of action for the rational use of the lakes as long as they are above the safe level. Thus we want to send out a message of calm on this topic.
As you can see, we have talked about concrete things. This week there has been a lot of discussion about chattering politics. There’s been an overdose of information. And I think that that gives you citizens one impression: that everything is discussed except the content.
Democratic Party? The problem is the person leading it. I believe that what is needed is a generational change put into action by the citizens and not by the Party Conferences."