After the laughter of Merkel and Sarkozy commenting on Italy's credibility, Silvio Berlusconi is forced to work overtime. The prime minister has called for 18 this afternoon a CDM in which the "structural measures" requested of our country by the EU will be discussed. Herman Van Rompuy's ultimatum, president of the European Council, could not have been clearer: the reforms on growth must arrive by Wednesday, when the Council will meet again, to "reassure the markets and Europe".
Thus began a feverish day for the Knight. After a meeting with Minister Tremonti at Palazzo Grazioli, the Prime Minister is expected at the Quirinale to report to the head of state on the latest European summit in Brussels. It also seems that already last night, returning to Rome, the premier made contact with Umberto Bossi to fix an appointment before the council of ministers. The pension issue is on the table.
Berlusconi said he wanted to draw inspiration from Europe's pressure "to do things" that up to now he hasn't been able to do "because of others". Innovations that should materialize in two steps: a decree law with "a hundred" simplification measures in favor of businesses, jobs and investments in large energy infrastructures; a package of other interventions to expire over time. Let's see which ones.
PENSIONS: CANCELING SENIORITY BENEFITS AND EXTENDING THE RETIREMENT AGE TO 67 YEARS
“In the EU there has been talk of an equal retirement age for everyone at 67 – Berlusconi said yesterday -. I will present it to the League, also because we are the only country to also have old-age pensions. Bossi cares about pensioners. But this does not collide with the defense of pensioners, because we are not going to touch or reduce anyone's pensions. Now with the development of the average life, which is around 80 years, for young people to keep people who retire at 58 and then go on until 80 and beyond is a frankly unfair burden. I'll tell him about it."
But the resistance of the Carroccio on the social security front could prove to be much more aggressive than what the Cavaliere expected. “The League is against any pension reform and against the assets – reiterated this morning on Canale 5 the Northern League group leader in the Chamber, Marco Reguzzoni -. She has always been against the possibility of re-discussing the retirement age. We made our alternative proposals. The Council of Ministers will discuss this matter".
A surprising opening came instead from the UDC: "If the pension reform with the raising of the retirement age to 67 years is well done, we are ready to vote for it", said Rocco Buttiglione.
DISPOSAL: SALE OF STATE PROPERTY AND AGRICULTURAL LAND
Another fundamental issue is that of publicly owned real estate: "Perhaps we will be able to reduce the public debt even before 2013 by placing them on the market," Berlusconi said again from Brussels. The divestitures should concern a slice of the real estate assets in the hands of the State, local and social security bodies. The idea of cashing in by selling part of the agricultural state property also made its way.
TAX: AIR OF AGREED
The new measures should also include an advance of the tax reform, which could include a new arrangement. Other rules are also in the balance, such as the facilitated closure of the tax dispute. On the other hand, the hypothesis of a real amnesty seems to have been avoided, another point on which the opposition of the League has been decisive.
TREMONTI: PLAN FOR THE SOUTH WITH EUROPEAN FUNDS
The Economy Minister yesterday proposed a development strategy for the South. Already renamed "Eurosud", the plan envisages "a radical revision of the use of European funds, also with strengthened management - explained Tremonti -, both for long-term interventions and for those with immediate and rapid effects". In essence, it would be a question of using the billions of EU structural funds that our country has not been able to invest so far. The minister does not deem "additional resources" necessary, instead requested by the governors of the southern regions.
AGREEMENT WITH SWITZERLAND
The hypothesis of an agreement between our country and the Confederation is making its way which provides for – under guarantee of anonymity – the one-off taxation on the deposits of Italian citizens in Swiss institutions. It would be a levy on unshielded capital (therefore held illegally) which would bring immediately between 20 and 25 billion euros to the State coffers and another two billion a year with the taxation on the interest produced by those sums
