M5S calls for Meloni to address Parliament on ex-Ilva plant

Members of the Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S) party, specifically parliamentarians Mario Turco and Leonardo Donno, have formally requested that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni appear before Parliament to clarify the government's strategy regarding the former Ilva steel plant in Taranto.

The request seeks urgent information on the future of the facility, its workers, and the local industrial supply chain. M5S representatives are calling for the closure of the plant's 'hot area' and a comprehensive economic, social, and environmental reconversion of the territory. They have proposed a Program Agreement involving the government, local authorities, and social representatives to manage this transition.

Key demands include halting collective dismissals affecting approximately 2,500 workers, initiating environmental remediation to remove asbestos, and securing resources for industrial reconversion. The lawmakers criticized the government for allegedly interrupting previous reconversion paths and diverting funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Pnrr) intended for decarbonization projects. They cited health concerns, noting over 2,000 cases of occupational diseases, as a primary driver for immediate action.