Below is the full text of Luca Lazzari’s (PSD) remarks in the Grand and General Council (Consiglio Grande e Generale) during the communications session.
Luca Lazzari (PSD): On occasions like this, solemnity can sometimes take over: important words are spoken, but at times it’s hard to really hear the people saying them. This time, we could hear you — we could hear your sensitivities, the things you care about. That was a good thing, starting with that image of the grandfather and the child looking at the moon, a tender image that says a great deal about what we can leave to those who come after us, including the confidence that they can go further still. You raised very concrete issues: housing, the cost of living, the ability to access healthcare within a reasonable time. You managed to hold together these everyday needs and the major transitions the country is going through, because it is precisely in daily life that people need to see the results of political work. I particularly appreciated the point about institutions that know how to listen to criticism and acknowledge mistakes. That’s a call that concerns all of us: truly listening, even when what we hear is uncomfortable, takes more strength than retreating into one’s own role. And then, Your Excellencies, knowing you, we half expected the digital theme to find its way into the opening address of the Council’s term. Now the call has come from the Captains Regent as well, so let’s get moving. I say this, of course, to ourselves here on these benches. So thank you for what you said and for how you said it, and best wishes for a good term ahead.
I’ll turn briefly to the signing of the association agreement. Many have already spoken about it, and I share the views expressed by my group leader, by my party’s president, and by many other councillors, and I align myself with those remarks. There is now a great deal of work to do to follow through on this step, but while we work toward this prospect, we must also deal with the problems in front of us.
This brings me to the Giochi del Titano affair. I believe we need to hold together two responsibilities here: achieving full clarity and protecting the country’s credibility. Yet I keep noticing a tendency that leaves me puzzled. As soon as a legal case emerges, all the attention shifts to the name involved, to the backstory, to the most sensational detail. We wait for the next revelation and end up discussing nothing else. Meanwhile, though, the political questions remain unanswered.
Let me start with what was done immediately, because it deserves recognition. Business continuity was guaranteed. The situation involving the individuals implicated was prevented from halting the company’s operations. That matters for the workers, for their families, and above all for state revenue. There has since been talk of an audit and an organisational restructuring. Good — those are the right steps: they will help clarify how the company operates, where action is needed, and how to strengthen it for the years ahead. This work must continue, because protecting a public company also means being able to review its organisation and correct what needs correcting.
I would also like to highlight another aspect: the cooperation with Italy. In this case, the two countries are collaborating on the investigations, and that too deserves attention. It says something about the relationship we have built and about how our institutions handle serious issues. National pride also means this: demanding that things work properly, confronting problems, and acknowledging the efforts of those who help resolve them.
There remain, however, the political considerations that we as the PSD raised in a recent statement. Let me briefly recall them. Public management of gaming has produced important results and allowed us to move past a period of clashes and competing interests. But after so many years, we also need to review that framework. The State is the owner, benefits from the revenue, and bears supervisory responsibility. We must make sure that the importance of that revenue doesn’t lower our guard against the risks inherent in the sector.
There is also the question of how long appointments should last. After very lengthy tenures, it’s fair to ask how we can ensure turnover, continuity, and the organisation’s independence from any single individual. This is an issue that extends well beyond Giochi del Titano.
Finally, we need to build other sources of income for the country. That is why we keep insisting on the need to give clear and precise direction to the country’s development. We must follow through on this commitment, including through the opportunities offered by the association agreement.
So, to sum up: the company’s continuity has been secured. Now we need to carry forward the work on oversight and organisation, while also addressing the political issues we have raised. I believe this is the most useful way to protect Giochi del Titano and to demonstrate, through concrete action, the trust we place in our country.
