A new law pushed by Salvini for “enhanced decentralization” is causing backlash and concern about widening the gap between rich north and poor south. Rome’s parliament gave a definitive “yes” and its conservative government Georgia Meloni celebrates. With the approval of the “enhanced decentralization” law, the only certainty is that Rome’s central government will retain its powers in the fields of defense, foreign and economic policy. All the rest, based on this autonomy, will be able to be the responsibility of the regions. From education, to culture and tourism.

Italy, however, is a special country with great disparities between north and south. In Milan, for example, the annual per capita income is 35,000 euros, while in Palermo, Sicily, it does not exceed 10,000.

The danger is clear: this reform, which would allow different regions to manage a large part of tax revenue autonomously, could widen this gap even further. Giorgia Meloni was forced to acquiesce to the “à la carte federal system”, as they call it in Italy, due to heavy pressure from Matteo Salvini’s League.

He cannot ignore, however, that a large part of the inhabitants of Southern Italy considers it dangerous and harmful. Some “common, basic standards” will be defined that all regions of the country will have to respect. But will it be enough?

Reactions from Calabria… to Brussels

His vertical opposition was expressed, for example, by the governor of Calabria, Roberto Occiuto, who belongs to Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, a member of the government coalition. “The law was passed at night, it is a gift to the League,” he said characteristically.

For its part, the entire opposition (from the center-left Democratic Party to the Five Stars) is preparing to collect citizens’ signatures for an annulment referendum. “This law dramatically increases all of Italy’s inequalities,” the progressive parties insist.

And the European Commission, in its report, expresses substantial concerns: “With this new law on decentralization, there may be negative effects on the country’s finances, at a critical phase, for the entire economy of the European Union,” underlines Brussels.

In Naples, where unemployment reaches 33% (while the national average is 11%), it will be difficult for Giorgia Meloni to convince the residents that “this is a clear message of progress to build a stronger and fairer Italy” .