The government has declared a state of emergency in Emilia-Romagna and Marche following this week’s devastating floods, approving an initial allocation of €20 million in aid.
Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci confirmed that the emergency measure covers the provinces of Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, Ferrara, Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena, and Rimini in Emilia-Romagna, as well as the entire Marche region.
“Along with the state of emergency, which will last 12 months, the cabinet has allocated €20 million to deal with the initial urgent interventions, rescues, and assistance to the population, as well as the restoration of services and infrastructure,” said Musumeci.
Many of the affected areas are still recovering from the floods and landslides of May 2023. They were also triggered by unprecedented rainfall. That disaster left 17 people dead and caused billions of euros in damage across the region.
Scientists continue to warn that the climate crisis, driven by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, is making extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts, supercharged storms, and flooding more frequent and severe. While several factors contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal remains the primary driver of global warming. Despite the environmental impact, the sale of these fuels continues to generate massive profits for the world’s energy giants.
Political backbiting begins
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has made a pledge as tensions rise between her centre-right government and the centre-left regional administration in Emilia-Romagna, led by the Democratic Party (PD), over who is to blame for the devastating impact of the recent floods. The row comes just a year after similar deadly floods hit the region.
On Thursday, Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci criticised the regional government, accusing it of failing to spend all the funds allocated after last year’s floods and not taking sufficient preventative measures. He continued his attack on Friday, stating, “It’s the end of the world when it rains in Emilia-Romagna – something is wrong.”
PD leader Elly Schlein responded by accusing the government of “political looting” in its handling of the floods, noting that regional elections are just two months away. The Democratic Party has pointed out that, after last year’s floods, the central government appointed its own commissioner for reconstruction. That was instead of former governor Stefano Bonaccini, who recently stepped down after being elected to the European Parliament.
Interim Governor Irene Priolo also criticised the government’s response. On Friday, she revealed that while President Sergio Mattarella had called to offer support after the floods, Meloni had not. Priolo also questioned why Musumeci was focusing so heavily on Emilia-Romagna. The Marche region, governed by a centre-right administration, also suffered flooding and benefits from the state of emergency.
“It is shameful to describe us as an ineffective region,” Priolo said. “I won’t stand for it.”
