There seemed to have been some clarity, late yesterday afternoon, at Palazzo dei Normanni on the text of the maxi-amendment presented by the government. The pace, which up to that point in Sala d’Ercole had not been exactly that of a hundred-metre runner, sees a sudden acceleration. But the timid agreement on the text, apparently found with both the coalition and the oppositionafter a day of negotiations, disagreements and exhausting meetings, comes to a halt when the government fails on an amendment to article 11 of the budget worth over 700 million. A rule considered of little importance – it creates a fund of two million euros for the Family Department, with which events and initiatives are financed – which however was rejected, despite the presence in Sala d’Ercole of the President of the Region, Renato Schifani .
With a secret vote (34 yes and 33 no) Parliament approves an amendment by the dem Ersilia Saverino, on which the executive had expressed a negative opinion. An amendment that establishes a semi-annual report by the family councilor to the competent parliamentary commission on events financed with the fund. But immediately after the rejection, the president of the Ars Gaetano Galvagno suspended the work, leaving the Sala d’Ercole very irritatedsending displeased text messages to everyone and postponing the session to Friday. «We hope that Christmas brings good advice. The objective of launching the maneuver within the year remains. The temporary exercise would not be a good sign”, says Vincenzo Figuccia (Lega), leaving the corridors.
But let’s recap. Before yet another stop, the Assembly only manages to approve article 5 of the Budget which provides incentives for doctors who work in suburban hospitals. An extraordinary incentive of up to 18 thousand euros gross per year is foreseen “aimed – we read – at a lump sum compensation of a transitory nature for the expenses incurred for accommodation and transport”. The expected coverage is ten million per year for the three-year period 2025-2027. The measure excludes, however, the white coats of the nine provincial capitals, as requested by the Democratic Party with Nello Dipasquale, who saw his amendment rejected: «The measure desired by the government – he explains – leaves out the hospitals of small capitals like Ragusa. I honestly don’t see any reason to rejoice.” «The allocated sum of 10 million euros is not enough, we needed at least 20, more could and should have been done. However, it is an important signal”, says the group leader of the 5 Star Movement, Antonio De Luca.
Behind the scenes, if the agreement has been found on the maxi-amendment that will contain the contributions for bodies and associations close to the deputies, no solution has yet been found on the government’s maxi-amendment relating to far-reaching measures. There is still uncertainty about the rules that will remain in the final text and which, instead, will be removed, after a work of skimming that went on all day on a second file that had been circulating in the Palace since the morning but still considered too vast by all parliamentary groups even of the majority. From what filters through, the government will insist on a few “characteristic” rules, to use the expressions of the regional councilor for the economy, Alessandro Dagnino, and then move the minor measures into a related document, to be brought to the Chamber in the new year. From the original text, according to what we learn, the Schifani-branded rule should remain which provides for the stop of interest on loans to purchase non-luxury goods, to help the less wealthy classes; funds for the construction of new watermakers, subsidized non-repayable loans managed by Irfis for business mergers. The measures that provide for the tightening of contributions to foundations and entities will remain in the textthe one relating to Siciliacque, Ast, Agrigento, capital of culture, and Gibellina. However, the article on the subsidiaries, wanted by the councilor Dagnino himself, such as that of the super Zes, is skipped. The law proposing a reduction on car tax for rental companies, seen by some as a law tailor-made by Antonino Dragotto, will not find space either. There is also discontent over the rule regarding the planning fund: 10 million euros intended for municipalities and regional bodies (read Cas, according to some members of the majority).
