There is no peace for the maneuver of the Monti government. The decisive agreement on the two hot fronts of the new package has not yet been reached: the Ici-Imu on the first house and blocking of the automatic equalization of pensions. To overcome the stalemate that has arisen in the House Budget Committee, a meeting between the government and the speakers is scheduled for 15 pm. The delay in presentation of amendments will postpone the speech by Prime Minister Mario Monti from 15 pm to 30 pm in front of the Montecitorio Commission, which in turn will not resume work before 17 pm.
Meanwhile, rumors continue to chase each other about a possible new postponement for the arrival of the text in the Chamber, scheduled for tomorrow morning at 10. According to the chairman of the Finance Committee in the Chamber, Gianfranco Conte, "informal contacts have been initiated with the president Gianfranco Fini to postpone the start of the general discussion".
However, Fini said he had “no intention of deferring further. The maneuver was supposed to go today and was postponed, but tomorrow it will be in the Chamber ”. In fact, it does not seem that there is further scope to be able to approve the law before the Christmas break: this morning the Conference of Group Leaders in the Senate established that the text will arrive at Palazzo Madama on December 21, while the final vote will take just 48 hours After.
While waiting for the latest changes to the most controversial measures, let's now see how the maneuver changes with the amendments presented so far:
GOLDEN PENSIONS, FORNERO: WITHDRAWAL OF 25%
A "25% levy as a solidarity contribution for pensions over 200 euros". This is not a real amendment to the Monti government maneuver, but an idea launched in commission by Welfare Minister Elsa Fornero. “I make the proposal – added the minister -, now the ball passes to you, to Parliament. This is not a sop. We'll see if there are any unconstitutionality profiles, but in the meantime the proposal is there”.
The minister also announced an intervention in favor of the class of '52, particularly penalized by the pension reform: "There will be an attenuation, which however means something modest compared to the strong increase in working life required".
LIBERALIZATION BLOCKED FOR TAXI
The previous version of the maneuver provided for the elimination of the territorial constraint for taxis, admitting the possibility for each license holder to work even in cities other than their own. The taxi drivers had immediately organized protests and today the remedial amendment arrived: "The transport of people - we read - by non-scheduled public bus services" is excluded "from the scope of application" of the liberalisations.
But the match could only be postponed. "Within six months of the entry into force" of the maneuver, in fact, urban mobility services (including taxis) will fall within the ambit of the broader "provisions aimed at achieving complete liberalization and efficient regulation in the transport and access sector related infrastructure".
PHARMACIES TOWARDS THE STRIKE
The government does not offer discounts to pharmacists, confirming the liberalization for the sale of class C drugs, which can therefore also be distributed by prescription in parapharmacies and supermarkets. Federfarma has already spoken of a strike, but the decision will be made official tomorrow at the end of the union presidency council.
PAYMENTS TO PARLIAMENTARIANS, NO CUTS IN MANEUVER
The Government renounces to influence the costs of politics with the maneuver to bring them into line with the European average. An amendment filed this morning provides for the Chambers to cut the allowances of deputies and senators, no longer a decree from the Executive. However, no term is specified.
PROVINCES, GOODBYE FROM 31 MARCH 2013
The new text establishes that the bodies in office will expire by 31 March 2013. Furthermore, it postponed from 30 April to 31 December 2012 the deadline within which the functions of the Provinces must be transferred to the Municipalities or Regions.
Lastly, the amendment provides that the Regions with special statutes have "six months" of time to adapt their regulations to the changes in the maneuver on the Provinces. The rules "do not find" instead "application" for the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano.
OFFICERS NOT FORESEEN BY THE CONSTITUTION
For the moment, the fees of the councilors of the districts and mountain communities are also saved, who will keep their salary until the end of their mandate. The provision contained in the maneuver which establishes that offices are free of charge in territorial entities not envisaged by the Constitution will enter into force only "starting from the renewal of the entities" envisaged.
CASH PAYMENTS
An amendment by the league plans to raise the traceability threshold from 500 to 1.000 euros beyond which the ban on payment with cash is triggered.
