The cost of living and the housing question took up much of the debate in Council Commission IV, and the response from Secretary of State for Territory and Environment, Agriculture, Civil Protection and Relations with the A.A.S.L.P., Matteo Ciacci, did nothing to soften the picture: «Today, with 1,500, 1,600 or 1,700 euros a month, it’s hard to make it to the end of the month». Hence the need for structural solutions and, on the rental front, a renewed focus on the issue of rent control.
The subject was raised by Gaetano Troina of Domani Motus Liberi, who, while giving the Secretary credit for measures on subsidised housing, noted that «the housing problem is far from solved». According to Troina, rising prices are pushing more and more San Marino residents to look for property and mortgages abroad, while newly built homes within the country in some cases reach prices well out of reach for families and young people: «If they can’t find a home, if they can’t keep up with today’s cost of living, it’s inevitable that they’ll look for work elsewhere, look for a home elsewhere, and end up starting their families elsewhere». On fuel prices, he proposed considering a greater differentiation of the SMAC discount in favour of residents and those who work in the Republic.
Fuel was also raised by Emanuele Santi of Rete, who, with prices hovering around €2.25 a litre, argued that the SMAC scheme is no longer sufficient: «Today, filling up the tank has truly become an ordeal, in every sense». On housing too, Santi described a situation that is no longer sustainable, calling for a review of property concentration and the dynamics keeping supply low. The opposition, he added, is willing to «sit down at the table» to seek shared solutions, an offer of dialogue that Ciacci welcomed.
The gap was wider on public works. Matteo Casali of Repubblica Futura framed his remarks around the country’s «architectural emergencies», which he considers unresolved cases across San Marino: from the former Music Institute to the Cinema Turismo, from Salita Malagola to the Teatro di Dogana, from the former shooting range to the Nido del Falco and the Kursaal. The problem, for Casali, lies in the «absence of any overall planning», and he contrasted strategic planning with what he called a «policy of just doing»: «There’s no point preaching grand principles». Miriam Farinelli, also of Repubblica Futura, spoke on the same issues, arguing that these are sites that affect the country’s image: «They are all elements that highlight the lack of care for our territory». She called for clear priorities accompanied by «precise deadlines by which the works must be completed».
Ciacci responded by defending the projects already under way or planned: «Planning means getting things done, means actually completing them». On the Baldasserona car park, he pointed to 2027 as the completion date; for Salita Malagola, the goal is Easter 2027, with the restoration of the park and surrounding area. The Cinema Turismo project is being carried forward by the AASLP, which is also handling the design work for the former Music Institute. As for Villa Malagola, the Secretary pointed out that the building belongs to Banca Agricola Commerciale and raised the broader question of investment priorities, naming the student housing project in the former Excelsior building among the main goals for 2027. «This is what planning looks like», he reiterated, dismissing the idea of construction sites opened «haphazardly» and citing, among other projects, Palazzo Begni, the ice rink, the little train, pavements, cemeteries and telecommunications infrastructure.
