Premier Paolo Gentiloni on Friday
chided the 5-Star Movement (M5S) administration in Rome for
allegedly not showing "the maximum efficiency" in coping with a
string of woes - prompting the anti-establishment group to tell
him he should stick to being premier and not campaign for his
centre-left Democratic Party (PD) ahead of the March 4 general
election.
Gentiloni said that Mayor Virginia Raggi's M5S administration
"has not shown maximum efficiency".
He said "this city cannot simply be governed by facing a
string of emergencies that emerge every week..with which even
the most efficient administration would struggle.
"And I don't think we are in a situation where we can have
maximum efficiency".
The government "is there for" Rome and the central government
is working with the municipal administration despite
"suspicions", Gentiloni said.
"We are the government and we can only have a spirit of
collaboration on Rome even though this time the help was greeted
by suspicious reluctance," he said.
He said the government "appreciates the effort to give the
city a long-term approach and urges everyone to have for Rome
the universal ambition that this city deserves".
Rome is in the midst of a trash crisis, the latest in a
string of woes to hit the administration led by Mayor Virginia
Raggi.
It has also been hit by appointments probes, poor public
transport and urban blight.
Raggi, a member of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement
(M5S), was elected in a landslide in June 2016 to become Rome's
first woman mayor.
In response to Gentiloni's perceived criticism, M5S Rome
Council Whip Paolo Ferrara said the premier should
stick to his job and not engage in the electoral campaign.
Ferrara said on Facebook:
"Gentiloni should stick to being premier, not (taking part
in) the election campaign.
"Their (Gentiloni's Democratic Party, PD) efficiency in
governing is the 13 billion euros of debt (Raggi) inherited.
"Gentiloni's statements are disgraceful."
"The efficiency he talks about is by chance that shown in the
past decades by PD governments?
"The efficiency that led Rome to have 13 billion euros in
debt?
"The premier should stop waging an electoral campaign.
"Indeed, he shouldn't waste time and should appoint a debt
commissioner for Rome"
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
