Yes, we've heard before, SO many times, that Southern Italy Needs were secondary to Northern Italy's Wants, and SOMETHING must be done.

Measures aimed at increasing employment and development have been often discussed, sometimes planned, but never funded.

Here however we have Margherita party parliamentary chief whip Pierluigi Castagnetti
seconding in no uncertain terms Ciampi's proclamation.

Will it be different this time????

(AGI) Agenzie Giornalistica Italia
On behalf of the Italian Prime Minister's office

(AGI) - Rome, Italy, Nov. 16 - Margherita party parliamentary chief whip Pierluigi Castagnetti commented on Ciampi's address: "he is right: southern Italy is the outstanding issue in national politics.

The centre-left agrees fully with his words. We have long since appealed to the government to act on the issue, year after year, yet the issue has slipped off the government agenda: all measures aimed at increasing employment and development have been written off, funds have been cut as have investments".

Castagnetti added: "southern Italian regions are witnessing renewed migratory fluxes towards large cities such as Naples.

In conjunction with the government's proposed budget and on behalf of the party and the coalition we wish to stress the need to avert cutting funds to southern Italy and, more importantly, the need to set it top of the agenda".

Agenzia Giornalistica Italia - News In English
http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=
200411162026-1217-RT1-CRO-0-NF11&page
=0&id=agionline-eng.oggitalia