Saving money by combating waste
will be on the top of the list of priorities for the
anti-establishment Five-Star Movement (M5S) if it wins local
elections in Rome in June, mayoral candidate Virginia Raggi said
Tuesday.
"Waste is a kind of bag for money that is transformed into
privileges," Raggi told Radio Rai 1.
"The old parties very often used privileges to build
empires, so addressing waste means destroying a system," she
continued.
"We'll start from there," Raggi said, adding that waste in
Rome amounts to one billion euros per year.
The 37-year-old lawyer also said that people who make
mistakes cannot be allowed to remain in their posts.
"In the companies owned by Roma Capitale making mistakes is
almost a virtue, and it can't be that way," Raggi said in
reference to the management of local transport company ATAC and
refuse collection company AMA.
The M5S candidate invoked the line "set out by the European
Union" in dealing with Rome's ethnic Roma population, a top
campaign issue for several candidates.
"(The line is) to gradually move away from camps," Raggi
said.
"The camps are not going to be closed tomorrow: the Roma
need to be accompanied like all people, in a process of
inclusion. A census will need to be carried out," she added.
Raggi also distanced herself from the political left,
describing it as a "big deceit".
"Many people from different political backgrounds have
converged in the movement," she said.
Raggi also said the process of selecting possible members
of a future executive council led by M5S is already underway.
Criteria for selection are competence in the specific field
and trustworthiness, she added.
"Should there be more than one candidate for the same post
we will consider the possibility of involving residents in the
choice," Raggi said.
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