The workers and businessmen in this sector are protesting against Giorgia Meloni’s regulations that aim to adjust to the European regulatory framework so that the ownership of these spaces does not pass from parents to children but rather goes to public tender.
Italian beach managers, also known as ‘balnaeri’, people who work in beach clubs, protest against a new law which forces concessions to be put out to public tender the commercial use of coastal spaces starting next year.
In Italiathe coveted beach licenses have been passed from parents to children for decades, which has made it difficult for new companies to enter the sand market. Italy wants to end this historical practice.
Protests on the beaches
Tour operators on beaches like Ostia, in the metropolitan area of Romahe closed their umbrellas for two hours as a sign of protest against Italy’s accession to the EU competition rules that affects their businesses.
“We are talking about 30,000 companies, 300,000 workers. We ask the Government for a concrete and practical commitment,” says Valentina Fabbri, president of the local Merchants Association, in statements to ‘Euronews’.
“We also ask a consistent refund and a plan regarding the investments made on these coastsboth in tangible and intangible assets and not only those that have not yet been amortized.
Tourists and locals who visit the beaches understand the demands of the owners of these businesses. “The protest is legitimate. These people only have these months to work,” says a beachgoer.
