“I will speak to you with words that come from the heart.”
Thus began Christian Solinas, former governor of Sardinia, this morning in Sassari, opening the Congress of the PSD'Az Provincial Federation at the Leonardo Da Vinci Hotel. "This is the opportunity for the return of democratic debate," the current national secretary of the Sardinians declared before an audience that included representatives from across the political spectrum, from the Democratic Party (PD) to Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d'Italia), the Five Star Movement (M5S), and Forza Italia. He cited the national congress, which established the party's platform, free from pre-established alliances.
"We've always done it," he says, recalling his experiences with the DC and PCI, until joining the center-right in 2009. " I'd like to avoid fueling settling scores or tensions during the congress. This isn't a parliamentary clique; we must safeguard our heritage." Solinas focuses on some issues concerning the island. "We must move beyond the current industrial model, which has left too many workers on unemployment benefits. We also need to move beyond green chemistry." The idea is to find a balance with the tourism industry. "We have a fifth of the national archaeological heritage. We must enhance it," he says, citing the example of Barumini, which "attracts 160,000 visitors a year." "As governor, I invested a billion euros in enhancing our heritage."
Solinas emphasizes the opportunity offered by the Metropolitan City, whose task, he says, "is to find a synthesis between extremely different vocations." He then addresses the perennial issue of healthcare. "The understaffing is the result of a long process," he remarks, reviving the proposal for a new hospital in Sassari. "We need a facility worthy of the third millennium. The current one is not worthy. I had even identified the former Agrario area as the ideal location. We know that an efficient hospital cuts costs by 30%."
Solinas has often been criticized for his decisions regarding Sassari, but he doesn't accept it. "I believe I was the governor who gave the most to Sassari in the history of autonomy. In my administration, there were three regional councilors; we finally brought funding for the northwest to a balance with the rest of the island." The Sardinian recalls some measures that benefited the Sassari area. "I'm thinking of the support for the primary sector, for example, the dairy industry from COVID to the rest of the legislature. Overall, that was a period of great attention for this province."
