Naples Mayor Luigi de
Magistris said Monday that a referendum will be held to vote on
whether the southern city should have more autonomy.
"By the end of the year we'll have a referendum for the total
autonomy of the city of Naples," de Magistris said via Facebook.
"In this way we'll have more economic resources, fewer
financial limitations, more wealth, more development, less
inequality.
"Successively we'll try to have a referendum for the
differentiated autonomy of the whole of the south of Italy, if
the other peoples of the south want it".
Vincenzo De Luca, the governor of Campania, the region Naples
belongs to, on Friday wrote to Premier Giuseppe Conte to request
autonomy for the southern region after applications from the
northern regions of Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna.
Conte's government is examining legislation for greater
autonomy for those three regions.
Deputy Premier, Interior Minister and League leader Matteo
Salvini is said to be ready to support the three regions' bids
for greater autonomy in the cabinet, but his coalition partners
in the 5-Star Movement (M5S) are reportedly concerned about the
danger this would create "top flight and second-tier citizens".
Autonomy Minister Erika Stefani, a League member, said the
M5S should drop its reservations.
"Autonomy is in the contract of government and it necessary
to be coherent," Stefani said.
"If there is an agreement (for autonomy) signed by the
premier, how can it be possible to amend it and force one of the
parties to change the contract?".
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