The Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announces the arrival of a decree worth at least "50 billion euros" and in view of the European Council scheduled for April 23, he does not close on the Mes, but underlines: "Italy needs more".
THE APRIL DECREE
During his speech to the Senate, the Premier anticipates support measures for families and businesses for at least 50 billion euros arriving with the April decree: “We must further strengthen our economic policy response. For this reason - said Conte - in addition to the 25 billion euros already allocated with the 'Cura Italia', the government will very soon send Parliament a further report containing the request for deviation from the budget objectives equal to the figure well above the one allocated in March. A truly substantial amount, no less than 50 billion euros which will be added to the 25 billion already allocated for an overall intervention of no less than 75 billion euro”.
The closure of offices, factories, shops, etc. and the isolation to which citizens are forced have generated an unprecedented crisis, remarked the Premier, underlining how the emergency is affecting above all "the most fragile groups". “The interventions planned so far are not enough. There is a risk of creating a new poverty”. Because of this, "economic interventions will have to be more incisive", he has declared.
According to what was revealed by Ansa, tomorrow, April 22, the Council of Ministers should be held for the launch of the Economic and Financial Document. The meeting has not yet been convened, but the Government is reportedly working with the aim of approving the Def as early as Wednesday. At the same time, the Executive should also give the green light to the report to Parliament on budget slippage, to authorize new deficit spending and finance the measures of the decree expected at the end of the month.
THE MONTH
In view of Thursday's European Council which - Conte anticipated - "will not be decisive", the Premier also addressed the hottest topic of the last period, that relating to the Mes.
"There are countries in the EU - explained the Premier - that have shown interest" in the Mes, but without the conditions currently envisaged. "Spain has shown that it is interested as long as it doesn't have the conditionalities" envisaged before the emergency. “Refusing this new credit line would be doing these countries a disservice who join us in the battle, but Italy needs more. The Mes criteria are unacceptable due to the nature of this crisis".
We will therefore have to wait to see what the conditions imposed by the other EU countries will be (if any). "To understand if the Pandemic Crisis Support (the new credit line that refers to the Mes, ed) will actually be without conditionality, it is necessary to wait for the processing of the documents prepared to disburse this credit line. Only then can we discuss whether or not the relevant regulation may be appropriate to national interests".
Conte's half-opening immediately sparked protests from the opposition benches, which the number one of Palazzo Chigi tried to appease by stating that "Those who today express doubts" about the Mes "in my opinion contribute to a democratic and constructive debate and are I am the first to say that it is necessary to carefully evaluate the details of the agreement and only then decide whether it confirms the national interest”. The Premier then reassured the parliamentarians: "I have already declared that this discussion" on the Mes "must take place in a public and transparent manner before the Parliament which has the last word".
THE OTHER PROPOSALS
During his briefing Conte announced that “In the European Union there are eight other countries willing to take new economic support measures. We will not accept a downward compromise”. “We need to build an Economic Recovery Fund to counter the crisis“, continued the Prime Minister, explaining that Europe's intervention “will have to comply with the treaties because we don't have time to amend them. It must be managed at European level without a bilateral nature, it must be much more substantial than the current instruments, aimed at dealing with all the economic and social consequences, immediately available and if it is to fall within the multiannual financial framework it must be made available immediately through guarantees that anticipate them the application,” Conte said.
As for the other proposals on the table, Italy is available “to support France's proposal on bonds, having asked to integrate it in order to respond more promptly to the requirements that we believe are essential. Lastly, a Spanish proposal was presented which we could also support, but with some suggestions for variations, due to its conformity with our purposes".
PHASE 2
Conte's speech in the Senate began by talking about the so-called phase 2. "We are developing a progressive reopening program that is homogeneous on a national basis and that allows us to reopen a large part of the productive activities and also commercial, keeping the contagion curve under control ”, explained Conte.
The government has drawn up “a five-point strategy. The first - continued the Prime Minister - is to maintain and enforce social distancing, to promote the widespread use of personal protective equipment until therapy and vaccine are available ".
On the "Immuni" app, for tracking, the Premier reassured Parliament: "it will be offered on a voluntary basis, not mandatory". "Even for the social distancing measures there will be some changes, we do not miss the difficulty of citizens "in continuing to respect" the anti-contagion rules and "the aspiration to return to normal".
