Sicily's Cry for Change: From Ashes to Renewal

Ashes, darkness, terror, catastrophe – this is what Palermo, Catania, Segesta, San Vito Lo Capo, and many others have witnessed. Acres of land destroyed, cultural sites targeted, churches severely damaged, and businesses torn apart. Homes evacuated, people left with nothing, not even hope, as everything was engulfed in flames along with the suffocating air.

In Sicily, there's a resignation that stretches from east to west, not born yesterday, not surrender, but rather an inability to believe that things can change. Years of governments and politicians have passed, yet the island remains anchored to promises of change that never materialize.

Was it all predictable? Perhaps yes, perhaps no. What's certain is that we cannot perpetually work in emergency mode, counting damages that accumulate year after year, pushing the Island into a land of desolation.

So many politicians govern, so many in the national parliament, yet history remains unchanged. They comment and show solidarity, but who will take the blame? Will there be any responsibility, even if minimal? Every summer, the same story unfolds – fires, deaths, damages. The destruction of the environment, a direct attack on human life.

The Sicilians have the right to know: is it improvisation? Negligence? Lack of planning and prevention? What is it all about?

In Catania, there's no water and electricity; in Palermo, the air is so suffocating that life becomes unbearable. Is it auto-combustion? It's hard to believe. Arsonists wreak havoc, and climate change exacerbates the problem.

The damage is done, not only economically and with businesses struggling, but the damage to Sicily's image is immense. Why should anyone come to Sicily, risking being evacuated from a village or a seaside location, overwhelmed by the fumes of a sudden, yet perhaps predictable, fire? Why visit Sicily with temperatures of 45 degrees, risking not being able to turn on an air conditioner in the room? Endure delays with third-world level railway lines, and a highway under construction disgracefully everywhere?

What do the Sicilians still wait for? To live day by day? Can a beautiful sunset and good food alone justify claiming that Sicily is the most beautiful land in the world? No, it's not enough for Sicilians, nor is it enough for those who come here for a few days.

The events of winter and now, undoubtedly exacerbated by climate change, are also a result of political incompetence. It's a collective failure of all representatives, from those in the Region to those in the national Parliament.

We must emerge from this immense tragedy, not only to rebuild what has been destroyed but to build a different future for Sicily. A future where political will, planning, and action are put into place to prevent such disasters and to create a prosperous and sustainable Sicily for generations to come.