It is only worth devolving more
powers to Italy's 20 regions if it serves to narrow the existing
gap between north and south, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal
Pietro Parolin said on Wednesday.
"Is this a way for us to become more supportive, to help each
other, also in the knowledge of the big divide that exists
between one part of Italy and another?" asked Parolin of the
controversial bill on regional autonomy that on Tuesday moved
from the Senate to the House.
"If this is the case, the move is welcome. If not, we have to
ask whether it is really worth going down this road," he added.
The so-called 'differentiated autonomy' bill is a pet policy of
the right-wing League party and a trade-off with Premier Giorgia
Meloni's flagship policy of introducing the direct election of
the Italian premier by the Italian people.
The centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) has condemned
the measure, with Secretary Elly Schlein saying it would make
citizens who are already penalised by the north-south divide
even worse off in terms of public services.
She has also accused Meloni of trying to resurrect the League's
one-time "secession design".
In its early days in the late 80s and early 90s the then
Northern League campaigned to break the affluent north away from
the poorer south and an allegedly parasitic central government.
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