«The Region has published the ranking for the financing of projects for the valorisation and promotion of the Sardinian language, completely cutting out the entire Cagliari area: a discriminatory act that ruins the work carried out over all these years». Salvatore Sarigu, president of the Sa Bèrtula Antiga cultural association, which has been working in the Sardinian language sector for over 20 years now, carrying out projects in collaboration with public administrations, points the finger at the regional tender on the promotion of the Sardinian language.
«I find it incredible that the Region has excluded the entire Cagliari area, the area of the island where most people live and where the Sardinian language in the Campidanese variant is widespread – denounces Sarigu -, a decision that causes enormous cultural damage, which risks not giving continuity to the ten-year projects of past years, preferring - given the projects that have been financed - the other dialects of northern Sardinia". But for Sarigu, the ranking of projects on the Sardinian language worthy of the regional contribution is also destined to create economic damage: «More than 50 paychecks of professionals will be lost (teachers of courses and laboratories, desk clerks, translators, environmental and archaeological guides, tutors, coordinators) that the Region itself has trained and certified with its initiatives: these people, given the work discontinuity, will look for other jobs, as has already happened in past years, definitively losing very valid professionalism. A mockery for municipalities such as Quartu Sant'Elena, Sinnai, Quartucciu, Monserrato, Sestu, Uta, Elmas, Maracalagonis, Pula, Sarroch, Sanluri, Settimo San Pietro, Dolianova who presented projects, all of which were then admitted, but not financeable due to lack of resources: to bring these initiatives to life, just over 1 million and 300 thousand euros would be needed."
The projects included in the ranking by the Region were financed thanks to state funds from Law 482/99: just 200 thousand euros came out of the regional coffers.
“This is a trifle – says Sarigu -, if we consider that for the valorization of Friulian or Ladin, figures of between 4 and 5 million euros per year are allocated by the relevant regional administrations. The hope is that the Region will immediately correct this mistake and implement once and for all - also given the Sardinian political traction - a serious linguistic policy, financing all the projects admitted to the ranking and allocating funds to finance initiatives capable of enhancing an aspect cultural so important for Sardinia".