Veneto and Lombardy governors,
Luca Zaia and Roberto Maroni, on Monday hailed the victory of
the yes vote in autonomy referenda held Sunday in the two
wealthy regions to gain additional powers and tax revenue from
Rome.
Zaia said the yes victory marked a win for Veneto residents
and their civic sense: "Within the framework of the
Constitution, we can now work on reforms".
He said that the region will ask for autonomy on "all 23"
policy areas that can be transferred to regions and for
"nine-tenth of tax" revenues.
Lombardy Governor Roberto Maroni also expressed satisfaction
and stressed there was "no competition with Zaia" over a higher
voter turnout in Veneto.
"We can now join forces for the battle of the century", said
Maroni.
The turnout in Veneto was around 57% while in Lombardy it was
significantly lower at under 40%.
Zaia and Maroni are leading members of the anti-migrant,
Euroskeptic Northern League party.
League leader Matteo Salvini on Monday told a press
conference that a victory of the yes vote in Sunday's autonomy
referenda in the wealthy Lombardy and Veneto regions led by
Northern League governors was a "lesson in democracy" for Italy
and Europe.
"We chose the legal, peaceful and constitutional way", he
said, adding that "we will offer the same opportunity, from
north to south, to those who will ask for it".
Salvini also said that "things could not have gone better".
"Now I expect the government to say when it means to
acknowledge this request from the people".
He added that he "wouldn't be surprised" if autonomy talks
also included Emilia-Romagna Governor Stefano Bonaccini, and his
Puglia counterpart Michele Emiliano, both members of the ruling
Democratic Party, who are demanding greater autonomy for their
regions.
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