Campi Flegrei, the mayors raise their voices: "We need a turning point; no more shock decrees."

A special law that encompasses the needs of the region in a single measure and guarantees structural interventions for the Phlegraean Fields. This is the request made by the mayors of Bacoli and Pozzuoli during the hearing of the joint Budget and Environment Committees of the Chamber of Deputies, which are examining the bill converting the decree dedicated to the area.

Josi Gerardo Della Ragione, mayor of Bacoli, called for the municipalities' proposals to be incorporated into a comprehensive measure: "I hope many of the proposals put forward will be incorporated into a special law, which I would call the Consolidated Law on the Phlegraean Fields, to avoid any drastic decrees."

Della Ragione then criticized the timing of the latest decree, number 144 of August 7, 2026, approved after the July 31 earthquake: "It was approved seven days after the July 31 earthquake because it was the result of a meeting with the minister that took place a few months earlier. I believe waiting for the earthquake is a negative factor because it produces an already outdated act and also because it requires proposing a series of amendments, as has happened: the decree would have been useful if it had been passed on July 29, not August 7."

Pozzuoli's mayor, Luigi Manzoni, agreed: "I hope the proposed amendments are approved; only then will we see a turning point for the Phlegraean Fields."

For local governments, the priority remains getting people back into their homes, but the crisis's impact on economic activity is also on the table. Manzoni highlighted the difficulties facing the commercial sector: "The related industries have suffered losses of up to 40-50%. A mortgage suspension and additional supra-municipal incentives are needed."

Della Ragione described the aftershocks' impact on the local economy with a particularly stark comparison: "During the aftershocks, the Campi Flegrei experienced a pandemic: for weeks, we experienced a complete halt in arrivals. We need to provide economic aid that can allow businesses that are still operating to receive assistance at critical times."

The mayor of Bacoli finally addressed the issue of a state of emergency, emphasizing that, in his opinion, it would not be sufficient to resolve the most sensitive issue for residents and property owners: "A state of emergency would not address the most serious issue, namely, the ability to provide residents with the security of accessing funding by eliminating the fear associated with minor irregularities."