Italian politicians and institutional figures expressed solidarity Thursday with ANSA journalists striking to combat the threat of 65 layoffs or the introduction of so-called solidarity contracts to deal with a budget shortfall at the news agency of five million euros.
Messages of solidarity were sent by leaders including Senate Speaker Pietro Grasso and European Parliament Speaker Martin Schulz, as well as several Italian government ministers, regional governors and trade union leaders.
The #resistANSA tag was one of the top trending topics on Twitter.
Grasso said politicians and institutions "musn't remain indifferent" to news of possible cuts at ANSA news agency. "ANSA is an irreplaceable resource," Grasso said. "I wish to express my solidarity with the journalists," he said. "I hope an agreement will be reached as soon as possible between employees, the agency, and editors who have as their first objective safeguarding the quality of information".
Lower House Speaker Laura Boldrini on Thursday met ANSA union representatives and expressed "great affinity" with agency journalists protesting against scheduled layoffs, emphasizing "citizens' rights to be informed in a correct, objective, and timely way". "ANSA has the job - if we look at similar experiences in other democracies - of telling the world about Italy and, vice versa, to be a voice of the country beyond its borders," Boldrini said. "In my former professional work as well as in visits abroad as speaker, I've seen how strong the 'demand' for Italy is, and how important it is to respond to this," she said. "I hope that the company's business plan...will be able to express this vision as well," she said.
Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing Northern League party, expressed solidarity with ANSA journalists in their protest of possible redundancies on Thursday, calling the cuts "unacceptable". "Besides solidarity in words, we regard as unacceptable any cuts or restructuring that undermine the full functionality of ANSA, which we consider an indispensable defense of democratic life. In this moment, assuring our concern, we express the most sincere solidarity to the employees of the agency," Salvini said.
Deputy Transport and Infrastructure Minister and Socialist Party head Riccardo Nencini voiced his support. "Democracy and citizen participation in public life are also ensured by the work, the professionalism and the reliability of the journalists that every day play a fundamental role in defence of information pluralism and accuracy in news distribution. The situation in which ANSA journalists find themselves is worrisome, and all of my solidarity and firm support goes to them," Nencini said. Nencini called on involvement at the institutional level, including hearings by the culture and labour committees in the House and Senate, "in the hopes that a solution can be found that guarantees the stability and credibility of a press agency that ensures information quality and timeliness," Nencini said.
Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin tweeted her support. "A reporter that loses their job is a piece of information that goes missing," the minister tweeted. "Solidarity with ANSA journalists, always present everywhere".
Lombardy Governor Roberto Maroni said he hopes a positive solution can be found rapidly "Every effort must be made to protect news agency employees and to safeguard an invaluable heritage of information and professionalism that has always ensured accurate, fair and impartial information," Maroni said.
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