Messina Mayor Basile warns against sidelining mayors in Italy's port reform

Messina mayor Federico Basile says that excluding mayors from the forthcoming reform of Italy's port system would be a serious institutional and political error. He argues that decisions taken far from the territories, in ministerial offices and Roman tables, cannot fully grasp the needs and potentials of the cities involved.

Basile noted that the upcoming parliamentary draft on port reform is being discussed in a meeting on 16 June in Rome, organized by the Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport with business associations, unions, and agencies, but that mayors have not been invited. He cited support from the national association of Italian municipalities (ANCI) and warned that ignoring local elected officials could erode trust and turn a vital reform into a “boomerang” effect. For Messina, the port is central to the city’s identity and to the economic future of its fairgrounds, waterfront, and tourism sector, making local input essential.