In this fiery August electoral campaign, all we talk about is "Dragons agenda”, that is to say the measures that the Prime Minister has implemented with his government and those that he would have carried out if he had not been forced to resign due to the crossfire of Lega, Forza Italia and Movimento 5 Stelle. Although the Premier has decided to step aside, the phantom "Draghi agenda" continues to monopolize the political debate, dividing the parties into two fronts: on the one hand there are those like Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva, Carlo Calenda's Action and ( in part) the Democratic Party of Enrico Letta puts it at the center of its electoral program in view of the elections of 25 September, on the other hand there are those who intend to "overcome" it to allow politicians to regain possession of politics. In the name of this agenda, the alliance between Pd and Action was built, which then broke down precisely because of the choice of Pd to include in the coalition parties opposed to the same agenda (Bonelli of the Greens and Fratoianni of the Italian Left). Not to mention the center-right which, immediately after the fall of the government, began to lose pieces. The farewell of the ministers Carfagna, Gelmini and Brunetta a Forza Italia was in fact motivated precisely by the "betrayal" of the party on the Draghi agenda as well as the previous exit of Luigi Di Maio & Co. from the 5 Star Movement.
What is the Draghi agenda?
All the parties in the electoral campaign, therefore, for better or for worse, continue to talk about theDraghi agenda, without however saying what is inside it. A nebulous narration that last week prompted journalists to ask the Prime Minister himself for clarifications: "It is difficult to say that there is an agenda", Draghi said nonchalantly at the press conference, underlining that "the Draghi agenda is essentially made of interventions, responses, reforms” but also and perhaps above all of “international credibility”. "If you make me think, this agenda is made up of ready answers to problems that show up”, added the Premier.
Statements which, however, do not completely dispel the doubts of those who do not follow politics day by day and in real time and who perhaps would like to know more in view of the next elections.
What to do then to understand what is really in that agenda? A useful tool to use are the speeches given by Mario Draghi in Parliament during his term as Premier. Emblematic (paradoxically) are above all the words used by Draghi during his communications in the Senate of last July 20 before Lega, Forza Italia and Movimento 5 Stelle decided not to vote for confidence in the agenda set by the Government, thus decreeing the early end of the legislature. In just 20 minutes Draghi summed up what he did during his mandate at Palazzo Chigi, but also the fundamental measures to be implemented in the near future.
The Draghi agenda: foreign policy
In foreign policy, the line drawn by Premier Draghi was as peremptory and evident as it was effective in restoring international centrality and credibility to the country: full support for Ukraine and condemns Russia's conduct without appeal, strengthening Italy's position within the European Union, full membership of NATO and the G7 and support for the United Nations. In short, a strong pro-European imprint and a strong Atlanticist imprint.
“Supporting this government means sharing the irreversibility of the choice of the euro, means sharing the perspective of an increasingly integrated European Union which will arrive at a common public budget capable of supporting countries in times of recession”, added Draghi, underlining the importance of discussing the reform of fiscal rules, of common defense and the overcoming of the principle of unanimity.
Energy policy
With the Draghi government gas imports from Russia they have dropped from 40% to 25% and according to the program drawn up by the Premier they will be zeroed by the end of 2023. It will also be important to "continue to fight to obtain a ceiling on the price of Russian gas and for the reform of the electricity market, which can begin from the domestic one even before European agreements”
In his speech on 20 July, the Prime Minister underlined the need to “accelerate the installation of regasifiers in Piombino and Ravenna”. Not only. By 2030 Italy will have to install about 70 GW of plants renewable energy and, thanks to the 4 billion allocated by the Pnrr for water resources, build a "water level".
Tax policy
Also in this case, the Draghi agenda can easily be extrapolated from the very clear words pronounced by the Premier in Parliament: "We intend reduce personal income tax rates starting from middle-low incomes; overcome the Irap; rationalize the VAT. The first steps were taken with the last budget law, which initiated the revision of the Irpef and the reform of the collection system. In Italy, the Agenzia delle Entrate-Collezione counts 1.100 billion euros of residual credits, equal to over 60% of the national gross domestic product. We must therefore approve it as soon as possible tax reform, which includes the completion of the tax collection reform, and the launching of the implementing decrees immediately after,” declared the Prime Minister.
Citizenship income, superbonus and pensions
“Il CBI it is an important measure to reduce poverty, but it can be improved to favor those most in need and reduce the negative effects on the labor market", said Draghi, according to whom "the basic income is good if it works", otherwise the evaluation change. Draghi also added that: "Contracts must be renewed, including that for trade and services". “At the European level, a directive on the minimum salary, and it is in this direction that we must move, together with the social partners, ensuring decent wage levels for the most suffering groups of workers".
As regards the building bonuses, "we intend to address the critical issues in the transfer of tax credits, but at the same time reduce the generosity of contributions". on pensions instead the Premier underlined the need to launch a reform that guarantees flexibility mechanisms and a sustainable structure anchored to the salary system.
Pnrr and reforms
The National Recovery and Resilience Plan is essential for the future of the country. Italy will have to reach by the end of 2022 i 55 objectives set by the Pnrr which will guarantee the arrival of the new 19 billion euro installment of financing from Brussels. Resources that will add to the 67 billion already allocated during the year.
Reform of Justice, Competition and the Procurement Code there will be three axes on which the new Government will have to work: after Parliament's go-ahead (without the rule on taxis) to the Competition Ddl, the delegated decrees for the reform of public procurement will have to be approved by March, while on Justice "We must complete by the end of the year the procedure envisaged for the decrees implementing the civil and criminal enabling law. The tax justice reform law must be approved by the end of the year”, remarked Draghi.
