Financial manoeuvre: work in progress

Work continues to fine-tune the budget package which will be brought to the attention of the Council of Ministers this afternoon at 15 pm. The tension in the majority is high, especially after yesterday's misstep on the Community law, and this measure signed by Tremonti – already widely debated and criticized in recent days – becomes a real litmus test for the government and the majority. The League, through the president of the Veneto Region Luca Zaia, reaffirms its line: "There is willingness to think about the penalty measures", but, he adds, "we need to safeguard the services". The message for the holder of the Via XX Settembre dicastery appears clear: do not penalize local authorities, as, moreover, loudly requested by the Carroccio general staff.
Meanwhile, the draft of the maneuver continues to be finalized. In the latest version, the tax on medium-high engine capacity cars appears: in fact, a super vignette is foreseen, a measure that raises the perplexities of Fabio Cerchiai, the president of ANIA (the association of insurance companies). “I am always perplexed when taxes are raised, it is better to intervene on public spending”, he comments.
New taxes were then defined for financial transactions: the tax on transactions carried out in Italy through authorized banks or investment firms is currently confirmed.
The legislation on pensions has been filed: no higher contributions for collaborators and for women, the retirement age will rise from 2020.
The VAT chapter disappears: the increase in the rates to 11% and 21% would in fact be included in the draft enabling law for the reform and not in the maneuver decree.
The draft decree on which the Treasury is working already sees the rejection of the local authorities. "If the maneuver that is taking shape is the one that emerges today in the press, then once again it will be the Regions, Provinces and Municipalities that will pay the heaviest bill", criticizes Giuseppe Castiglione, president of the Upi (the Union of Italian provinces ). If the amount of the cuts were the one announced, he adds, "the easing of the constraints of the stability pact would be of little use". For the Minister of Agricultural Policies, Saverio Romano, there is little that can be done: "In order not to put our hands in the pockets of the Italians, we need to cut spending".
And in the meantime, a few hours after the discussion of the decree in the CDM, Romano himself announces the cut in the salary of parliamentarians. In fact, the minister says he is "convinced" of the fact that the reduction in salaries "will be in the maneuver that we are going to deliberate today" in the Council.