At the end of his strength by Heidi Riepl

Too much is too much. The small Italian Mediterranean island of Lampedusa has long been bursting at the seams. And when another 7,000 migrants land on an island with only 6,000 inhabitants within just 48 hours, the mayor is also at the end of his strength: “We helped wherever we could,” said Filippo Mannino, “but we are simply exhausted “Please help us. We urgently need staff and resources,” was his desperate appeal. And then the 40-year-old declared a state of emergency on Lampedusa.

What this will actually bring is still the question, as the government in Rome declared a state of emergency throughout the country months ago. In any case, the news went around the world – and for Mannino that of course means: the world is finally looking at Lampedusa again. Europe’s politicians are also once again discussing the ever-growing refugee problem.

When he took office in June 2022, Mannino was still full of enthusiasm: “Our job is to save people and give them an initial welcome,” said the social scientist after his election victory. But even then he pointed out that transit had to work, “otherwise we won’t be able to cope with the situation.” All his demands were heard neither by the Sicilian government nor by politicians in Rome. The former insurance salesman waited in vain for an increase in financial resources.

But Mannino’s persistence also has personal reasons: he knows that the issue of migration will also decide his political future. His predecessor Totò Martello was voted out of office by around 400 votes because of the migration issue. And Mannino loves politics: Because he was unsuccessful on the Five Star Movement’s list, he simply founded his own citizens’ list “The Alternative There Is.”