"I ask for a clear, unequivocal and also rapid answer, because the country cannot wait". Giuseppe Conte decides to take over the fate of the Government and put Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini facing the expected ultimatum: “Tell us if they intend to continue or return to the vote. I don't intend to get by and I'm ready to resign”, said the prime minister in the Sala Galeoni of Palazzo Chigi. The Prime Minister does not give a precise deadline, but invites the leaders of the Lega and Movimento 5 Stelle to hurry: "The country cannot wait". Immediate Salvini's reply: "We want to go ahead, the League is there: we don't have time to waste: flat tax immediately, tax cuts, autonomy".
THE ULTIMATUM TO SALVINI AND DI MAIO
“The government experience has had to live with a tight cycle of electoral rounds with an almost permanent electoral campaign and the climate of cohesion of the government forces has suffered. I myself had underestimated this aspect ”, Conte declared, arguing that this climate does not help the Government's work and indeed, gives an untrue image of stalemate.
The President announces the start of phase 2 of the government, but first asks his deputy prime ministers to put an end to "provocations and communicative conflicts". “If we continue with provocations through daily tissue papers, puns through social media, we cannot work. The perennial constant communication conflicts impair concentration at work,” he says.
“Personally, I remain available to work with the utmost determination of a path of change. But I cannot make this choice by myself. The two political forces must be aware of their task. If this does not exist - Conte warns - I will not lend myself to getting by to prolong my presence at Palazzo Chigi. Quite simply I will resign my mandate.
"I ask both political forces and in particular their leaders to make a clear choice and to tell us if they intend to continue in the spirit of the contract". "The measures that the government must put in place - continues the Premier - require vision, courage, time, they require us to leave the dimension of the electoral campaign and enter into a strategic and far-sighted vision, different from collecting likes in the modern digital agora".
THE INFRINGEMENT PROCEDURE
The Premier calls his vice-presidents to order also in matters of relations with the European Union: “All problems, even the thorniest ones, can be tackled, a climate of cooperation and strong sharing is needed, in a climate in which there are no assumptions it is difficult to face such delicate challenges with a high probability of success”, he said referring to the possible EU infringement procedure, awaiting the response of the European Commission to the Italian letter, scheduled for Wednesday.
“Loyal collaboration means that if the economy minister and the prime minister dialogue with the EU to avoid an infringement procedure that would do us great harm, the political forces do not intervene to alter that dialogue by reducing that negotiation to a field of provocation".
THE NEXT MANEUVER AND RELATIONS WITH EUROPE
The premier says No to the VAT increase, even if he doesn't explain how the entry into force of the safeguard clauses will be avoided. In the maneuver that the Government will have to launch at the end of the year, a "balance of accounts" will be necessary because "the European rules remain in force until we manage to change them". “Those who know the markets know that unambiguous and clear words are needed from government officials and majority parliamentarians to preserve trust,” Conte added.
“We have to work on an economic package that promises to be complex, based on an incisive spending review and tax expenditure. We will be called upon to make delicate choices, but which require strong sharing” in the government, in respect of “the balance of the accounts. We remain exposed to investor confidence for our debt,” she recalls.
THE ANSWER ON TABLE
“On the Tav there is a government contract: if I didn't agree, I would have changed it. That's my lighthouse, then there's a working method. All citizens have been told 'we will pursue a method' and the method is cost-benefit analysis. It's not like you pursue that method for months and then you say you just have to do it. That doesn't work."
“We cannot set aside the cost-benefit analysis on the Tav by saying we don't like it – he continued – I started the process of dialogue, I spoke with Macron and there was a dialogue with the French infrastructure minister, another step will be shortly with Europe. At the end we will draw the strings of the interlocutions. I'm not making fun of Italian citizens, if I had to decide from today I wouldn't do it, I don't find it convenient. Either I can find an understanding or the path is marked”.
THE DEFENSE OF THE GOVERNMENT
The Premier begins his "speech to the Italians" by recalling his first year at Palazzo Chigi and declaiming the oath he took just one year ago after accepting the job of leading the yellow-green government. “On 2018 June XNUMX we were sworn in by the President of the Republic, there was a lot of skepticism, also because there was a contract at the basis. But there was skepticism about me too, because I didn't have my own political force behind me. I have sworn allegiance only to the nation."
Citizenship income, Quota 100, Security decree, Conte goes on to list all the main measures implemented by the Executive over the last year. "In this year we have implemented measures to respond above all to the social needs of citizens, from the one hundred share to the basic income". He said that security has also been strengthened even if more needs to be done - he specified - in terms of the repatriation of irregular migrants.
"The very complex vote of the European elections gave credit to the image of a stalemate in government activity: this is a lie, the government has continued to work because phase 2 has begun, after phase 1, dedicated to regulatory reforms and structural”, announced the Prime Minister, also promising investments in art, tourism and research.