The ministerial decree providing aid of 20 million euros for the provinces of Emilia-Romagna affected by the new flood which occurred on September 17 was published in the Official Journal on Friday September 26. For the two major floods of 2023, with two decree laws, the government of Giorgia Meloni had allocated first 1.6 then 2.7 billion for a total of 4.3 billion, or around half of the 8.5 billion damage estimated immediately (probably exaggerated figure). The structure of commissioners led by General Francesco Paolo Figliuolo had 1.6 billion euros for all categories entitled to it, as communicated by its structure. However, the funds disbursed in mid-September 2024, according to a report from the commissioners' structure, only amount to 276.18 million euros.
Funds paid to municipalities and local authorities, the lion's share was provided by the Hera group
The detailed allocation report also lists all the beneficiaries of the compensation obtained. In most cases, local authorities, public or municipal institutions and private companies have had to put the energy network back on track. For example, 45,942,220.32 euros were paid to the Hera group operating in these provinces alone, or 16.63% of the compensation paid. In April alone, the Figliuolo structure paid compensation directly to 23 families (202 thousand euros in total) and to certain companies. Then, the task of paying both the affected families and businesses was entrusted through the signing of an agreement to the public concessionaire Consap, which issued allocation orders reported collectively to the “families” or “businesses” without indicating in the report the names of the individuals. beneficiaries.
Only 7.1 million reached families in 16 months, a little more than half of which went to businesses
It therefore took more than a year to compensate individuals, whether natural or legal persons. But very few funds reached their destination. In total, in 16 months, the families received compensation amounting to 7,151,677.97 euros, or 2.66% of the payments made listed in the report. Private companies were even worse off: 3,783,061.67 euros arrived in the same period of time, equivalent to 1.37% of payments made until mid-September 2024. The new flood was the first to take away the little rearrangement of the Italian bureaucracy to reimburse what was promised and owed. A situation that all Italian citizens, hit by extraordinary atmospheric events such as floods, landslides and earthquakes, have experienced equally or worse.