Emilia Romagna Region, Italian government, European Union: three administrative levels involved and three institutional representatives involved, in an attempt to deal with an emergency that is looming as one of the toughest faced in our country. Emilian Governor Stefano Bonaccini and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen at Bologna airport in the afternoon and flew with her by helicopter over the areas affected by the floods in recent weeks between the provinces of Bologna, Ravenna, Forlì and Rimini.

"The support of the Union can be very important at this stage: in the coming weeks, having made the overall estimate of the damage from the flood, we will request the activation of the solidarity fund, which unfortunately Italy has already had to access on other occasions", Meloni said during the press conference at the end of the flight. "I think it was important for von der Leyen to see the extent of the problem and the multifaceted problems with his own eyes because we will need to pay special attention to this region, to the other funds, from the cohesion funds onwards, I am thinking of the agricultural issue" , continued the premier. "On the subject of the commissioner, I am struck that this is the subject that is close to your heart while there are still people's funerals. My main problem is not who spends the money but finding it", added Meloni .

"Thank you for hosting me. It was hard, it broke my heart to see the mud, these deep scars left by the avalanches. It's important to have this vision from the other side of the devastation", said von der Leyen. "I am here to send a very clear message: Europe is with you". There is "a structured approach" to the emergency, added the president of the European Commission, concluding: "The cohesion fund can be used. If we look at the Next Generation EU plan, there are 6 billion for prevention, there is it's a structural approach and all these and other resources we can draw on".