Calabresi: ‘I’m in it for Milan; the city needs real change’
“I’m interested in the race for Milan. It’s not clear what form it will take, whether there will be primaries, when they’ll be held, or the timing and procedures. There are still many months to go, but I’m in”: Mario Calabresi reiterates his willingness to stand as a centre-left candidate for mayor of Milan in an interview with Radio24. “I think there’s a lot to be done; the city needs real change,” and that Milan “needs to be listened to” given the “unease that exists”.
‘It’s a city that, on the one hand, runs very smoothly, moves at breakneck speed and is full of light; but the city isn’t a showcase – it’s a community of citizens. And that community has been somewhat lost.’
‘Bridging the gap between the two Milanos’
“From my point of view,” added Calabresi in an interview with Alessandro Milan to mark the publication of his book *Le voci degli altri* (“The Voices of Others”), “there is the beautiful Milan of shop windows, and then there is the Milan where there are so many problems, especially in the outskirts, where there is a feeling that the issues people face there are not being listened to.” And ‘the challenge is to bridge the gap’. Or ‘either you bridge the gap between these cities, or one will become increasingly marginalised and increasingly angry’, he added.
The gap between costs and salaries
One of the main problems is that of costs, starting with housing, particularly for young people. ‘We have become European in terms of costs, but we have not become European in terms of wages. We are European when it comes to house prices and rent, but we are not European in terms of our purchasing power. This is a fundamental issue’ on which ‘much can be done’, ranging from access to nurseries for newborns, to affordable housing – which cities such as Vienna are currently working on – and the creation of spaces for free social interaction.
