"Guaranteeing equal rights, services, and opportunities for island citizens is a matter of national equity," said Senators Marco Meloni and Antonio Nicita, who have introduced a package of amendments to the budget law to fully implement the constitutional principle of insularity.
The measures include strengthening the National Fund against the Disadvantages of Insularity with an additional €30 million for each of 2026 and 2027 , and strengthening the Infrastructure Equalization Fund for Southern Italy, earmarked for Sicily and Sardinia to bridge the infrastructure and logistics gap.
New investments are also planned for air and sea territorial continuity, 50 million euros to strengthen healthcare services on the smaller islands, and the postponement of school size reductions in island regions until 2035-2036 to safeguard the presence of schools and the cohesion of local communities.
The package, the parliamentarians explain, "also introduces tax breaks and incentives for workers returning to Sicily and Sardinia, with the aim of encouraging the return of young people and qualified professionals and countering the loss of human capital."
Finally, the proposals place the islands within the new national strategic framework of the Mediterranean, with actions for the green transition, digitalization, and logistics competitiveness, recognizing Sicily and Sardinia's central role in the country's sustainable development and territorial cohesion.
(Unioneonline)
