New Europe spoke through the electoral marketing campaign for the executive election with Salim El Maoued, candidate mayor of Padova with an unbiased civic checklist. El Maoued, who speaks Arabic, Italian and English, was born in Palestine and studied medication in Padova, he then acquired a job as “household physician” within the northern metropolis. The title of his checklist is “ Padova di Tutti “ which consists by commerce unionists, ladies and members of associations and overseas communities. Among the many political proposals in his program El Maoued needs to create a “ survival revenue “ for folks incomes much less that 1000 Euros per 30 days, this measure may assist amongst others: households in want and enterprise house owners hit by the disaster.
New Europe:What was the place to begin of your political profession and the way you determined to place in place an inventory and run for mayor right here in Padova?
Salim El Maoued:My political engagement begins a few years in the past with my help for the Palestinian trigger then 5 years in the past after seeing what was occurring at native, nationwide and likewise worldwide stage relating to folks in want and largely immigrants I based an affiliation referred to as “Stella Polare”. This initiative was placing collectively experiences by:folks coming from many alternative international locations: Africa, the center east and Asia, but in addition Italian born sons of immigrants that skilled a troublesome life right here in Italy. From right here I noticed the necessity to reply to totally different wants and attempt to clear up issues that had been rising day-to-day, this group was based not solely by me however by many different folks. Throughout this era we mentioned about many points and never solely matters associated to immigration, we handled issues and matters peculiar to the town of Padova then we determined to create a civic, utterly unbiased checklist with the intention to implement the plans that we began to debate 5 years in the past.
NE:We see that in your checklist of candidates there are additionally Italians, why?
SELM:I didn’t need to scale back all this political challenge solely to immigrants, I believe that insert additionally Italians was crucial as a result of in my imaginative and prescient for the long run, a significant politics have to be inclusive, all collectively we have now to work with the intention to create one thing necessary. This by no means occurred earlier than, Padova just isn’t a “straightforward” metropolis to handle then even when we have now one of many oldest college in there world there may be nonetheless a kind of diffidence for folks coming from exterior, up to now it was relating to immigrants coming from the south of Italy. I hope that that sooner or later Padova may settle for this inclusive tasks, could also be now the time just isn’t prepared, perhaps sooner or later . For certain this can be a metropolis with a number of sons of immigrants who can be mutating, it has totally different cultures and it isn’t a static metropolis and likewise the political future will likely be multi-ethnic.
NE: Did you meet in Italy with different “non-italian” politicians throughout this era?
SELM:In these years I used to be in touch with a lot of politicians from totally different origin: Africans, Syrians, Moroccans, Egyptian, they had been in Rome, Treviso, Vicenza, Bergamo, Milano and Sicily. The problem is that I by no means noticed elsewhere a so related and unbiased political challenge and that is our actual power right here.
NE: Are you from the left or from the fitting?
SELM:We’re a brand new political challenge, this has the potential to be an actual structured political celebration however we must always work with an even bigger group, from the political perspective we’ll by no means be from center-right of center-left as a result of the “classical” celebration nonetheless didn’t perceive this transformation that it is occurring now in entrance of us. This political challenge is totally different as a result of we have now totally different wants and we handle the issues of our metropolis otherwise. We’re combating for younger residents with no political illustration and I hope to search out residents in different cities and hopefully we may work collectively. What we miss not is a construction capable of put collectively all people, we might be the third political celebration on this nation. Alternatively from the immigrants and second technology Italian born residents to speak about left and proper doesn’t make sense, they don’t have our political references as a result of they’re coming from different political contexts.
NE:Speaking now about numbers, what number of immigrant we have now right here with vote energy? And what number of within the subsequent years?
SELM:In Padova now there are 18.000 residents then sooner or later they may very well be 3 times extra. The lively electoral pressure of the immigrants within the subsequent years goes to be very sturdy, they’re younger and so they have a powerful motivation to work exhausting to create a greater society.
NE:You travelled loads throughout these years, what’s in keeping with you a very powerful ingredient to create integration? How is it attainable combine immigrants communities that right here in Padova are divided?
SELM:There’s not integration with out data not solely from the linguistic perspective, when immigrants will get the citizenship they don’t do a cultural path. Now we have to re-establish sure values, they should be extra hooked up to the values of the internet hosting nation. It’s not straightforward right here in Padova, it’s important to know the totally different tradition of every nation however there are factors of convergence. I see clearly the desire to do one thing optimistic for Padova, what’s missing is a real construction that hold all these totally different energies collectively. For me it’s simpler to work with them than to collaborate with teams or realities from Padova.
NE:If you’re going to have seats within the metropolis council that are probably the most fascinating political areas for you?
SELM:At Padova stage for certain the suburbs, the true downside is there particularly from the financial and social perspective, we have now to work extra on integration. Within the suburbs we will actually change the town and do one thing necessary. We skilled that immigrants households within the suburbs are asking for extra safety however we want concrete options. There are a number of points however politics in Padova may be very removed from the true issues of households with out an satisfactory well being help for instance. Immigrants want extra cultural and linguistic mediators for instance within the hospitals, we want professionals capable of converse totally different languages with the intention to assist others, the issue is that the funds had been reduce to help an environment friendly help technique additionally with trainings to assist immigrants. Even when Padova is ruled by a centre-left coalition, I believe there’s a lack of curiosity in Padova on these necessary points, I’ve by no means seen a mayor right here who was engaged in a critical dialogue with the overseas communities, this additionally means going to the totally different celebrations and ceremonies. I additionally hope that there would be the chance to develop some tasks financed by the European Union, it could be good to create a cultural centre designed for the second technology of Italians open to all, we want multicultural locations the place folks can meet.
