The budget law will be sent to Parliament on Monday. The timing is set by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who also tries to put an end to the controversy, following the circulation of various drafts, so much so that the opposition arises. «There is drafting work that is done and it is normal that it is done. But there are no substantial changes to the budget balances that we approved in the Council of Ministers”, says Meloni, speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony for the signing of the cohesion pact with the Marche region in Acqualagna. «We will send the maneuver to Parliament on Monday. The work is essentially closed”, assures the prime minister, who reiterates: “We are ready to proceed and I trust that we will also do our best to be able to approve it quickly also to give a signal of seriousness and clear ideas on Italy’s part ».
Tensions in the majority?
But the eve of the arrival in Parliament is certainly not marked by a serene climate: the opposition goes on the attack, also criticizing the contents of the Budget law as well as the long time it takes to present it to the Chambers compared to the date on which it was launched by the government . And even in the majority there is some fibrillation. Forza Italia, while guaranteeing the compactness of the centre-right, insists on the need to make some changes, explains group leader Paolo Barelli, who cites for example the rule on dry tax on short-term rentals: «There are some changes to be made», says the exponent sky blue. Maurizio Gasparri also says he is certain “that the most appropriate solutions will be found in the meetings in the next few hours because for us coherence in the field of housing protection and the defense of minimum pensions is an absolute priority”. And the Italian group leader in the Senate, Licia Ronzulli, recalls “Berlusocni’s political testament: more money in the pockets of Italians, never take it away”. The FdI group leader in Montecitorio, Tommaso Foti, denies tensions between government allies, but invites everyone not to aspire only to raise flags, because the commitments undertaken must be respected. «The flag of the majority is the only one that makes sense to plant. Waving flags in a coalition does not generate electoral dividends and is of no use to anyone. We all need to respect the agreements made at the level of party leaders and group leaders”, underlines Foti, according to whom “in recent days there has been far too much news out of reality which has opened up debates on non-existent issues. It often happens with budget laws, but never like this year. Perhaps because many different drafts of the alleged financial statement have circulated filled with fake news, perhaps placed there on purpose by a sinister little hand to try to make us argue.”
Schlein: “A maneuver with an expiry date like yogurt”
On the opposite front, the opposition does not spare criticism of the government. Among the harshest are Matteo Renzi, who urges Prime Minister Meloni “to stop playing the victim and start acting as prime minister, because in a year she has so far only chased likes on social media”. For the IV leader “today’s right increases taxes, if Berlusconi had been there to increase them”. The former prime minister identifies Matteo Salvini as “the big loser” in the pensions maneuver. «The maneuver isn’t there. This is not a serious way of preparing a budget law, we are extremely worried about the balances, the deficit. And they are very worried because a tax is cut by promoting it, but then all the other taxes are increased. And that’s not good,” observes Action leader Carlo Calenda. “You can’t see a government that approves a budget law on Monday and ten days later the same ministers who presented it at the press conference, the deputy prime ministers, don’t know what they approved in the Council of Ministers”, he adds. the president of the party Mara Carfagna. “We are worried about the 350 million euros in cuts announced by the government on disability,” says Democratic Party secretary Elly Schlein. “It’s a maneuver with a limited expiry date like yogurt,” quips Toni Ricciardi, vice-president of the Dem group in the Chamber. «We are faced with a frankly embarrassing dance of the majority, after 12 days from the press conference at Palazzo Chigi on the approval of the maneuver we still don’t have the papers. We certainly know that it is a maneuver that does not respond to the country’s emergencies”, comments Nicola Fratoianni of Avs. «Meloni is the commander of a sinking ship but he says everything is fine», attacks the M5s deputy group leader in the Chamber Agostino Santillo.