The Meloni government is in the fullness of its powers. After the room, the Executive also got confidence in the Senate with 115 votes in favour, 79 against and 5 abstentions. There were 199 voters.
Meloni in the reply: "Everything must be done against gas speculation"
During his reply in the Senate, Meloni responded to the main issues that emerged during the parliamentary debate, repeatedly attacking the 5 Star Movement and throwing a few shots at the Democratic Party.
Speaking of the price of gas, the Premier stated: “Everything that can be done against the speculation we are ready to do it. We need measures that in the medium-term will free Italy from one unacceptable energy dependence. I am thinking of the extraction of natural gas, I think that national resources should be used as Europe asks. Then they extract other nations and it's not that foreign gas pollutes less", said Meloni, underlining that "We will never be willing to switch from dependence on Russian gas to dependence on Chinese raw materials, it doesn't seem like a very intelligent strategy".
Meloni: "We will progressively cut the tax wedge by 5 points"
Moving on to the minimum wage and work, the Prime Minister said: “The fight against poor work is a priority for all of us, but let's understand each other on how to fight it. I think the legal minimum wage risks not being a solution but a red herring because we all know that a large part of employee employment contracts is covered by national contracts which already provide for minimum wages. So the problem for me is extend collective bargaining. But why are wages so low in Italy? Because the tax rate is 46%. Because of this we need a cut in the tax wedge”.
“If we don't start with the cut in the tax wedge, wages will be low anyway and you didn't make this cut – he attacked – A different choice was made that had less impact. I am committed to progressively getting to a five point tax cut. Two thirds to workers, one third to companies. Naturally it has a significant cost and is a medium-term commitment”.
Meloni: "We will increase the ceiling on cash"
During the reply, Meloni addressed the issue that today aroused the greatest controversy between the majority and the opposition: the cash cap. In fact, the League has filed a bill with the first signature of Alberto Bagnai to raise the ceiling on cash from the current 2 thousand to 10 thousand euros.
"In recent years we have witnessed an ideological discussion, linking it to the issue of tax evasion - said Meloni in his reply to the Senate - I will say it clearly, there is no correlation between the intensity of the cash limit and the spread of the shadow economy. There are countries where there is no limit and evasion is very low, these are the words of Pier Carlo Padoan, minister of the Renzi and Gentiloni governments, governments of the Democratic Party "
"I confirm that we'll put our hand on the cash cap", announced the Premier, according to which the limit of 2 thousand euros "penalizes the poorest as also emerges from the calls
to the left by the ECB”. Finally, Meloni underlined that the ceiling "risks not favoring our competitiveness" given that countries like Austria or Germany do not have it.
Meloni on the Pnrr: "Never said I wanted to overturn it"
“The Pnrr expenditure schedule envisaged as of 31 December of this year we would have spent 42 billion. In the Def of last April the figure was updated to 33,7 billion. In the update note of the Def, spending 2022 billion is expected for 21, less than half. Everything went fine? Maybe not. For this we take responsibility for also speed up the implementation of the Pnrr”, Meloni promised, who then added: “If you can show me when I ever said that I wanted to overturn the Pnrr, I will be grateful. We said one thing clearly, we never said we wanted to rewrite it but that according to article 21 of the Next generation Eu, adjustments are allowed on the basis of scenarios that should change”. And when the Pnrr was written, the Prime Minister reiterated “there was not yet a war, the prices of raw materials weren't that high. Is it legitimate to think about all the resources and what are the most effective interventions in this time or not?”. The risk is that the "tenders will be deserted and thus resources will not be grounded", she concludes.
On Ukraine: "Peace is achieved by allowing Kiev to defend itself"
Speaking in the Chamber, the leader of the M5S Giuseppe Conte accused the Meloni government of "never saying the word peace". He accusations confirmed also today in the Senate by other exponents of the Movement.
"I don't know if anyone believes that I enjoy war, that I like it and that I want to enhance it - Meloni replied - No, obviously I think, I hope and we will work for what we can do to achieve a just peace, but we must understand each other on how to get there: peace is not made by waving rainbow flags in demonstrations”.
“The only possibility, ever since the world began, to favor negotiations in conflicts is that there is a balance. Unless you want to tell me that peace comes with surrender, peace comes continuing with support for Ukraine, allowing it to defend itself”, continued the Premier.
Renzi: "Loyal opposition and on the merits of the measures: dialogue on presidentialism"
Speaking during the explanations of vote, Senator Matteo Renzi confirmed the No to the trust of the Action and IV group, promising a loyal opposition and on the merits of the measures. Then he turned to the other opposition parties, inviting them to avoid own goals: “Everything can be said to President Meloni, everything, but the 31st prime minister after 30 boys is a woman who has won battles. I contest it, but going to attack it on female representation is masochism”, said Renzi who, unlike what Letta said yesterday, does not close the door to semi-presidentialism: “You have made an important opening on constitutional reforms. If there is an opening on institutional reforms, a no regardless is wrong for me”, said the leader of IV
Berlusconi: “I've always been on the side of the West. On Ukraine my position is firm”.
In his first speech after returning to the Senate, Berlusconi reclaimed his role within the centre-right, "a coalition that I founded 28 years ago and has never been divided and which has been able to govern together and stay together even in the opposition, a coalition that has led and still leads the majority of Italian regions”. After speaking of the justice reform, defined as "indispensable", Berlusconi tried to put an end to the controversies that arose last week following the audio broadcast by La Presse in which he spoke of Putin: "I have always been a man of peace and my governments have always worked for peace and always in full agreement with the government leaders of Europe, of Born and of the United States. As I was able to solemnly recall before the American Congress. After more than fifty years, to the Cold War, an agreement considered by all to be a real miracle”, he recalled.
Returning to today, Berlusconi stated: “We, of course, in this situation we can only be with the West, in defending the rights of a free and democratic country like Ukraine. We must work for peace and we will do so in full agreement with our Western allies e respecting the will of the Ukrainian people. Our position on this is firm and convinced, it is absolutely clear and cannot be questioned by anyone, for any reason".
