Naples – Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi arrives in Naples today, and the Phlegraean Fields are expecting a breakthrough. At the meeting convened at the Prefecture, the Region, Municipalities, and committees will deliver to the Minister of the Interior the package of requests to be included in the decree approved by the government after the July 31 earthquake, now under consideration by Parliament for conversion into law.
The changes requested by the local government focus on several key points: an advance bonus of up to €30 for displaced persons with minor damage to their homes, to be used for repairs; a provision to prevent minor building irregularities from blocking access to funds; and compensation for businesses, retailers, and tourism operators. As La Repubblica Napoli reports, the proposals also include a dedicated leave of absence for displaced persons.
The mayor of Bacoli raises the alarm
On the eve of the meeting, Bacoli Mayor Josi Gerardo Della Ragione launched a direct appeal to the minister: if the amendments were not accepted, he warned, there was a risk of a "boomerang" capable of generating unrest, in a context already marked by approximately 4 displaced people and a collapsing local economy.
At the regional level, the institutional front is united: the Campania Region and the municipalities of Pozzuoli, Bacoli, Monte di Procida, and Naples have jointly developed the proposals for the decree, and are calling for a special law after rejecting the idea of a state of emergency in the Regional Council. Della Ragione insists that the amendments include a commitment to work immediately on the special law.
Not everyone shares this position. The Campi Flegrei Emergency Committee will appear before the Prefecture today with signs calling for a state of emergency to be declared. The center-right party shares the same position: Gennaro Sangiuliano, leader of the regional opposition, in a video filmed in Pozzuoli accused the Region of not providing enough assistance to citizens and called on President Roberto Fico to declare a state of emergency.
The requests on the 100 million decree
At the meeting on bradyseism, the package of amendments to the government decree, which allocates €100 million, will be submitted to the minister. The amendments were developed by the regional offices in conjunction with the affected municipalities.
In an interview yesterday with Repubblica, Regional President Roberto Fico spoke of the need for rapid funding for properties with minor damage, which represent over a third of the total, to allow displaced people to return to their homes. Fico also approved a provision that guarantees funding for homes with minor zoning irregularities: the issue of illegal building has so far been the main obstacle to the disbursement of funds following the earthquakes.
"Similar regulations already exist for L'Aquila and Ischia," recalled Pozzuoli Mayor Luigi Manzoni, emphasizing the need to address the small irregularities found in the buildings.
Other amendments under discussion include: increasing the state contribution from 70% to 100% for those who undertake earthquake-proof renovations; compensation for retailers, businesses, and tourism operators; and increased hiring in the Phlegraean municipalities, in addition to the permanent employment of staff already employed on fixed-term contracts due to the bradyseismic crisis.
On the labor front, Della Ragione revealed that leave for evacuees is a proposal from the committees, which he intends to push directly with Piantedosi. Among the requests are specific powers for maintenance of the cliffs, which have come under scrutiny by the Prosecutor's Office following reports of unspent funds.
Towards a special law
Manzoni outlined the roadmap: after the emergency decrees, the region intends to immediately work on a special law that will establish a dedicated state fund for the Phlegraean Fields for the necessary interventions, with the municipalities as potential implementing bodies to which the resources would be transferred.
Della Ragione called the future law a "consolidated text," because bradyseism doesn't end with the last tremor: according to the mayor of Bacoli, the state must continuously guarantee funding for building safety, regardless of future seismic events. For the Phlegraean Fields, he concluded, an approach similar to the Japanese model is needed for seismic risk management.
Key points on bradyseism in the Phlegraean Fields
Here is a summary of the main points that emerged from the meeting between the mayors and the Minister of the Interior regarding the emergency situation in the Phlegraean Fields.
- Financial requirements: Proposals for a bonus of up to €30 for displaced people and compensation for businesses and tourism.
- Required regulations: Request for a regulation to prevent minor building irregularities from blocking access to funds.
- Leave from work: Proposal for a dedicated work leave for displaced persons.
- Special law: Request for a special law to ensure continued funding for safety measures.
- Current situation: Around 4 displaced people and a local economy in crisis.
