Vice President of the Italian
Bishops' Conference and bishop of Cassano, Monsignor Francesco
Savino said Thursday that he shared the student protest underway
in many cities over high rents in Italy.
"I share this gentle, civil protest that says to adults, and
especially to those who have political responsibilities: Do you
realize that we can't manage?" said Savino on the sidelines of a
press conference at the Vatican.
Having to pay 800-900 euros for a room risks creating the
conditions for a social revolt, added the prelate.
"It's a real, authentic protest, responding to an objective
need. Let's try to listen to them," said the bishop, adding that
the issue will be the focus of the Bishops' Conference assembly
at the end of May.
"We cannot ignore the questions being posed, we want to listen
to needs, starting especially with young people," he concluded.
Earlier on Thursday the President of the Culture and University
Committee Federico Mollicone of Premier Giorgia Meloni's
Brothers of Italy (FdI) said the party would present a
resolution and convene student associations and the relevant
ministers, as well as representatives of local and regional
authorities.
"We must solve this problem that afflicts so many Italian
students throughout the nation, to ensure the complete
fulfilment of the right to study, an issue that has been
neglected until now," said Mollicone.
"In Milan a single room costs on average 628 euros per month, in
Bologna 467 a month and in Rome 452 a month," he added.
University rectors have called on the government to make
existing state property available to students and on Thursday
University Minister Anna Maria Bernini said a census of vacant
properties would be carried out.
The issue of high rents came to the fore last week when a
student set up camp outside her Milan university to protest at
the cost of accommodation in Italy's economic capital.
The protest has since spread to several major cities in Italy,
including Rome, Bologna and Florence.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
