Waiting lists in healthcare as a priority in the event of an election, the Olympics as a testing ground, the trust that also derives from belonging to a centre-right “which is doing excellent things nationally” and greater toughness as a legacy of not an easy first mandate.
This and more is in the luggage of Attilio Fontana, the president of Lombardy who will seek an encore on 12 and 13 February next. We discover it in this interview, to which the outgoing governor presents himself covered by a jacket with the “Milano-Cortina 2026” logo…
President, can we take a cue from your current attire for the first question?
Well, the 2026 Olympics are one of the greatest results we could have achieved, also because at the time of their assignment we had a government that was rowing against us. He had said yes to the agreement between Turin, Milan and the Veneto, but when the mayor of the Piedmontese capital put the aut aut “either alone, or nothing”, he withdrew his support. So Governor Zaia and I went alone, with a 100 million guarantee to be found independently: our budgets allowed us and so we made it. Now we will have to be good and have a 100% perfect organization: for two weeks we will be under the eyes of the world, billions of viewers will have to let themselves be fascinated by what they will see on television and then come back to visit us. It is an opportunity that we cannot and will not lose, because we have already managed – with our support – to restart tourism and to obtain better numbers than the pre-covid era.
The Olympics, a challenge. The others?
On a general level, a challenge is already being able to continue to administer. It is amazing what we have done in these years and what has been set up for the future: I would personally like to have the chance to bring it to fruition. I’m talking about innovation, sustainability, mobility…
However, if you had to choose a priority to address in the event of re-election, which would it be?
Healthcare waiting lists. It’s a problem that concerns all of Italy, but we have to eliminate it… Why are they here today? For several reasons: during the two years of Covid, hospitals mainly had to deal with other types of treatment and were unable to carry out their ordinary activities. And then, here as in all of Italy, the number of doctors and especially that of nurses are scarce, especially in Varese due to competition from Switzerland. We recently launched a tender to hire 150 of them and about a third turned up… Finally, there is another reason: Lombardy provides non-Lombardy citizens with something like 170,000 services every year, including visits, operations and exams. There are so many…
We are returning to talk about autonomy, after the 2017 referendum…
The path finally seems to be the right one: Minister Calderoli is determined, the government is in agreement and the Lombards are no longer to be made fun of, as has been the case since the referendum was voted on. The argument has also been the subject of big lies: this reform would not hurt anyone… Lombard citizens would have better services, for which they already spend 1,400 euros less per year than the Italian average: 3,300 euros against 4,700 for work our skills. Why isn’t it said?
How do you feel about 2018, when you first ran for governor?
I am much more aware of my role and have much clearer ideas about the future I will have to give to Lombardy. I have certainly changed, first of all because of what we faced during Covid: the cowardice fired at me by a certain political party made me tougher…
What hurt her the most?
Aggression, speculation and the use of people’s suffering to make politics and seek consensus. And it was a matter of speculation based pure on lies: had they been true, they would have also been acceptable, albeit wrong in the method, instead they were based on lies, on falsehood. Those are things I can’t forget…
When did you make the decision to run again?
I got it thanks to the support of the people I met traveling around the region. I’ve had so many requests to hold on and carry on: this was the first spring. The second lies in wanting to demonstrate what we have done and how much we can still do, the third in the desire to expose the smallness of others, which deserves to be opposed with the utmost determination.
What result do you expect from the elections? What is your perception at the moment?
Difficult to say: we are talking about a region with 10 million inhabitants, large, widespread, with completely different perceptions from one place to another… But I am very positive, starting from the political point of view: I represent the centre-right coalition, which also nationally it is doing excellent things, winning new supporters and confirming the goodness of the choice of those who voted for it. And then we have the support of the mayors, who are happy with what we have done, such as the project for internal areas or the money allocated for urban regeneration: they are allowing the area to restart, eliminating degradation and promoting social relations.
And your Varese?
A lot still needs to be done for my Varese. I have very nice ideas.
Have your relations with Mayor Galimberti improved?
There was no need to improve any relationship: I believe that institutions are independent of political affiliation. All the interventions that we have favored here and the great resources that we have distributed have not looked the center-right or the center-left in the face, absolutely. Good must be done only for the citizens of Lombardy: I feel neither rancor nor adversity towards the mayor of Varese.
Redevelopment of the Masnago building: the Region had to put its hand to the “portfolio” again…
It is precisely the demonstration that we do not look either the right or the left in the face: five hundred thousand euros were missing due to the increase in costs and we found them during the budget estimate phase. Without any controversy.
By the way: it is inevitable for a fan of his caliber to also ask a question about this Varese basketball team that has just conquered a coveted goal such as the Italian Cup finals…
I start by saying: personally I have a different mentality compared to the basketball played by coach Brase’s team… I love a basketball more that you start playing from the defense and I would always like to win by taking one basket less than my opponents, let’s say “Nikolic” or Caja”. Having said that, I’m obviously very happy with this Varese team and with how it’s going, also in light of the setbacks it has had to face, such as injuries. It is doing better than its objective value, moreover giving space to young people and Italians…
And School?
Luis is very good and has equally clear ideas: the facts are proving him right. The agreements with the Australians? I hope they are being defined… The only thing I can suggest is to eliminate any kind of angularity: this opportunity should not be lost, because it could really change the destiny of society and beyond…
