Italy: Giorgia Meloni travels to flood-devastated Emilia-Romagna

Photo taken on May 21, 2023 by the Italian Prime Minister's Office that shows Giorgia Meloni (c) with locals during a visit to the city of Faenza after deadly floods hit the Emilia-Romagna region. AFP - HANDOUT

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

The situation is improving this Sunday, May 21 in Emilia-Romagna, where the water has begun to recede. Ten thousand people were able to return to their homes. However, the alert is maintained because of the high risk of landslides. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni left the G7 in Japan ahead of the other leaders to visit the flooded area and meet with regional officials in Ravenna. The government has announced a first check for 20 million euros, but the damage is estimated at 5 billion euros. On the spot, Giorgia Meloni kept a low profile.

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With our correspondent in Rome, Anne Tréca

Giorgia Meloni took the Italian press by surprise. She arrived in Emilia-Romagna, at the scheduled time on Sunday, but in the greatest discretion: no communication, not a tweet, not a selfie. No image either, except for a video of a few seconds published by a resident on which we see the head of government wading in the mud, in the middle of a few rare inhabitants of an isolated village.

" READ ALSO – Italy: thousands of farms under water, billions of euros of damage

The mayor of Ravenna welcomed this discretion. "We don't need parades. We need help," he said. Near the prefecture, volunteer cleaners had also set the tone on improvised posters: "No parades please, we have other things to do.

It must be said that Emilia-Romagna is a bastion of the left, one of the few regions in Italy that has resisted the advance of the nationalist right. By keeping a low profile, Giorgia Meloni has probably also avoided possible embarrassing situations, especially since the first Council of Ministers devoted to flooding is scheduled for Tuesday, May 23, almost a week after the beginning of the disaster. A delay in ignition not appreciated in disaster areas.

" READ ALSO – Italy: the floods risk causing an economic and food disaster

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• Italy
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• Giorgia Meloni