He has climbed many (political) peaks but in his future also 3 children

"The legitimacy of the Green Pass has been confirmed not only by Professor Cassese, but also by many other constitutionalists who have noted that, in our fundamental Charter, health is not protected only as a right of the individual but as an interest of the community, according to the principles of solidarity and responsibility. But you don't need to be a lawyer to explain the importance of vaccines: last year in this period there were 700 thousand positive people of which 3500 in intensive care, there were red areas throughout the country - with girls and boys deprived of school in presence - and there were hundreds of deaths every day. These numbers and the lockdowns, with the serious vaccination campaign carried out by Draghi and General Figliuolo, are just a bad memory ".

Italy is a worldwide model for the management of vaccinations after the change imposed by Mario Draghi, reaching record percentages. How much do you feel the protagonist of this success given that Italia Viva has left all the seats of the yellow-red government in order to change Premier?

“We at Italia Viva have been the engine of change. We sent Conte home, the legislature went ahead and Draghi took over the government. In the days of the crisis, many called us irresponsible and threatened us. Conte was looking for those responsible in Parliament and the PD supported the thesis “either Conte or death”. Today, many seem to be competing for more Dragonians' licenses than Dragons. Good they changed their minds. The fate of Italy has certainly changed with Draghi. Not only for vaccines, but also because the country has returned to trust, GDP to grow also thanks to the PNRR and Italy to play a role in Europe and beyond ".

Stefano Puzzer's protest is very civil when compared to the assault on the CGIL in Rome. What do you think?

“The expression of dissent must be protected, as must the right to demonstrate. What is not acceptable is that a minority could put collective health at risk and compromise the economic recovery of a country that is trying to get out of the most serious post-war emergency. The continuous no vax and no green pass demonstrations have caused Covid outbreaks to explode, putting hospitals in difficulty again, as in Trieste. And in general they are blocking the activities of the historic centers of our cities which, as in Milan, are trying to restart despite the crisis. The assault on the CGIL is even more serious if we want: a wound for the democratic life of the country, led by far-right movements that have ridden a legitimate protest to lead to a subversive twist. All of Italia Viva starting with Matteo Renzi brought its solidarity by visiting the CGIL offices and participating in the street demonstration in Rome ”.

At what point is Italia Viva's proposal for the commission of inquiry on the management of the pandemic?

“With over 132,000 dead, we have a duty to give Italians words of clarity. In the Senate we presented a bill to give the answers that citizens are waiting for, out of a duty of transparency, to shed light on the opacity of the commissioner's management. If on non-working tampons, masks and ventilators there are those who did business just when the emergency was biting the most, someone will have to take responsibility for it. Unfortunately, our proposal was rejected. We will continue our battle in the House. Of course, I regret that so little space is given in newspapers and on TV to the fact that other parties are opposed to shedding light on one of the most painful pages of our recent history ”.

The bill on homotransphobia brought forward by Alessandro Zan has been wrecked. Whose fault is it?

“Of those who preferred to wave the flag of rights rather than work to see them recognized. The Democratic Party and the M5S preferred to risk burying the Zan law by meeting a secret vote with a predictable outcome rather than working at the difficult compromise table. And obviously the responsibility also lies with a center-right that showed its saddest face when it applauded in the Senate after the "rejection" of the law. We with the Renzi government were able to approve the law on civil unions because we did not chase the likes on social media, but we put our trust in a text, the result of a complicated mediation even with a piece of the center right. I am sorry that many boys and girls who today could have had more protections were disappointed by those who preferred a defeat in Parliament to have an extra interview ”.

Italia Viva has designated as many women for its two government posts. Are you ahead or are many other parties still behind on gender equality?

“I am happy to be in a party that recognizes the value of women: Italia Viva has gender equality as a fundamental element, it is the first point of our Charter of values. All party roles are held by a man and a woman by explicit provision of the statute and we are the only ones to do so. Moreover, the Renzi government was the only one in the history of our country to have an equal number of men and women ministers.

Unfortunately, there is still a lot to do to achieve true equality not only in politics, but also outside the institutions. And it doesn't just apply to top positions ".

Tax reform and tax reduction. What are Italia Viva's proposals for the economy?

“The simplification and reduction of the tax burden have always been the cornerstones of our reformist action. Now, after the pandemic crisis, it is even more urgent to make those who work and produce pay less taxes, starting with the elimination of IRAP, continuing with the reduction of the withholding tax for workers and self-employed workers, up to favoring a system that encourages women to re-enter the world of work through tax incentives. Because a country that wants growth cannot do without women. In general, we must make every possible effort to reduce taxation on individuals ”.

Together with Calenda, who had a result beyond all expectations in Rome, and some other political force in the consolidation phase, could you represent in 2023 that center that is missing today in the constitutional arc?

“Calenda in Rome, thanks also to our candidates who turned out to be the most voted, undoubtedly achieved a good result, but unfortunately it did not make it to the ballot. The result of Rome but also our results in many other cities from Milan to Bologna, in Tuscany, tell us that there is a reformist, liberal, pro-European electorate, which does not recognize itself in right-wing and pseudo-left populists. We are an alternative to Salvini and Meloni but also to Conte and Di Maio ”.

A few years ago, while he was Minister, he spoke of three children in his future. Is the large family project still standing or does work and political commitment prevail?

“Unfortunately, I think it is an all-Italian peculiarity to contrast a family project with work. I have always fought so that women should not experience work or motherhood as a renunciation of something else, but also so that the same can be true for men. In my case, who knows what fate holds. You never know ".

LP