“We asked the rapporteurs” to withdraw the amendment which provides for a salary increase for non-parliamentary ministers and undersecretaries to “avoid unnecessary controversy”. “What would not be understandable for any other profession, that is, that two people who do the same job, in the same organisation, have different treatment – adds the minister – must be taken into account for those involved in politics”.
«It is absurd – according to Crosetto – to leave even just one second more space for controversy over the amendment which made all non-parliamentary ministers and undersecretaries equal to deputies, recognizing expense reimbursements. It has been like this for over two years and will continue like this until the end of the legislature. Is this right? I don’t think so – he reasons – because it doesn’t make any particular sense that the minister of the interior or defense should have different treatment than their undersecretary, but it has never mattered until now, neither to me nor to my colleagues. For this reason we asked the speakers to withdraw it and avoid unnecessary controversy.”
The reformulated amendment rewrites the law, providing for non-parliamentary ministers and undersecretaries not resident in Rome only the “right to reimbursement of travel expenses for the performance of their duties”. To this end, a Fund with an endowment of 500,000 euros per year from 2025 has been established at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. The resources are allocated to the Administrations concerned by decree of the President of the Council of Ministers, upon proposal of the Minister of Economy.
The ban on extra-EU compensation, the so-called anti-Renzi rule, changes
A reformulated amendment by the rapporteurs to the budget excludes government members (initially included), introduces the requirement of an authorization and sets a ceiling on compensation. The rule only concerns presidents of the Region and of the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano and parliamentarians, with the exception of those who have been elected abroad: «they will not be able to accept, during their mandate, contributions, services, counter-performances or other benefits provided, directly or indirectly, by public or private entities, including through the interposition of a person or of companies or entities, not having their registered and operational headquarters in the EU or countries of the European Economic Area. The ban “does not apply in case of prior authorization” from the bodies to which they belong, only if the compensation received does not exceed 100,000 euros per year.