Ravenna, September 5, 2026 – “The Region must have an airport system to support tourism development. Also for this reason, the Region has implemented policies that help even the smaller airports compared to Bologna to grow.” This was reiterated by the President of the Region, Michele de Pascale, interviewed last night at the Festival dell’Unità in Ravenna by the deputy editor of il Resto del Carlino, Valerio Baroncini. De Pascale spoke extensively starting from economic issues without neglecting those of politics (“in the end, I am not enthusiastic about the primaries but we will have to hold them, we must not be afraid of participation”), end-of-life issues, and healthcare.
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The central issues of work
But it is the economy that takes center stage in the aftermath of layoffs and threatened closures by Electrolux and the possible withdrawal of Volkswagen from Ducati. “These are different stories but they share the confusion of an industrial policy, not only of this government,” said de Pascale. A different story for Electrolux, an industry “not positioned in the innovative and high value-added segment. If you make medium-quality products, you get overwhelmed. The key is to do what others do not know how to do and now we must convince the Swedes not to disinvest in Italy.”
Returning to the regional economy and the things the Region can do, de Pascale was prompted on the topic of the airport system. “It is evident – said the President of the Region – that we do not have the best airport system in Italy and, although it is not a regional competence, we have tried to tackle this issue by pushing Bologna to aim to qualify part of its offer. And it is unacceptable that a tourist system like the Riviera does not have a dedicated airport while we need to increase the share of international tourism. Rimini is indisputably the airport that has grown the most as soon as the Region implemented its strategy and potentially there is room for all airports. Bologna has 11 million passengers and it is realistic to think that the others can reach one million passengers.”
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The healthcare challenges
Finally, de Pascale insisted on the need to finance the healthcare system more substantially (“something we will do if we come to government” as well as “nurses need to be paid better so they don’t leave elsewhere”), to implement a “serious and not superficial” policy on immigration and security, and to intervene on the high cost of living with expansive industrial and labor policies.
The jab at the Prime Minister
There was no shortage of a jab at the Prime Minister and the “celebrations” in Bari for the duration of the government even though, de Pascale concluded, “the length of center-right governments must say something to the center-left: if the center-right wins, then it governs. We either divide before, and others win, or we stay united and divide after the elections. Since we will be called to govern, we too must last 5 years. Stability is fundamental to change Italy.”
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