The former Rome Debt Commissioner speaks Massimo Varazzani, in a letter to the Messenger in which he explains why some proposals on the previous debt of Rome Capital are not feasible: "They were imaginative considerations that led to flights of fancy with no basis of feasibility". Francesca Raggi, candidate for mayor of M5S, and Stefano Fassina, whose list, however, was not allowed to vote, openly put forward the proposals to restructure the Municipality's previous debt. Pd candidate Roberto Giachetti also spoke of restructuring, in particular for the most remote debt, the one contracted with mortgages 30 or 40 years ago to carry out expropriations, burdened by much higher rates than those in force today. But Varazzani, who was appointed commissioner by the Berlusconi government, dismantled the proposals of the two candidates point by point. They touch on a sensitive point in the electoral campaign given the enormous amount of debt accumulated by the Municipality which, according to the most recent data provided by the new Debt Commissioner Silvia Scozzese still amounts to almost 14 billion (including commercial debts) so that to dispose of it at the current rate it will be necessary to get to 2039. Furthermore, 80% of the financial debt alone (the only one that can be renegotiated) is in the hands of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. But this is exactly where the problem arises.
"Candidates for mayor who compete for the leadership of Roma Capitale - wrote Varazzani, also recalling that for the red accumulated before 2008, the commissarial management receives a perpetual contribution of 500 million a year (300 of which paid by the State and 200 to be paid by Roman citizens through the additional income tax) -, they practiced hypotheses, in truth all too simplistic, to find a way out of the previous debt. Basically there is a common idea, that of being able renegotiate the old mortgages of the Municipality of Rome. This plan, then, has various declinations: some say that the old mortgages could be replaced with a new maxi mortgage granted by the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti at lower rates, and who even say that the Treasury could advance about 9 billion euros without interest for 30 years. By repaying the old mortgages in advance and therefore paying less interest, it is the thesis, the contribution of 200 million paid by the Romans could be reduced in order to deservingly lower the Irpef rate”.
The former commissioner intervenes above all on the hypothesis concerning the Cdp, sfolding because the proposed operations are impossiblei: "First of all because of the 1.686 contracts relating to old mortgages, 1.491 are stipulated with the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, and their early repayment carries heavy penalties. Failure to collect the penalties by the Cdp could constitute tax damage". Secondly, he adds, "the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti cannot, by law, renegotiate mortgages without a provision of a general nature, since it is required from time to time to apply uniform conditions for all borrowers of this type". In other words: if CDP renegotiates the rate with the Municipality of Rome, it must also do so for all the other Municipalities that have similar mortgages. “The same income statement of the CDP could be affected”, concludes Varazzani.
