The whirlwind does not stop. Tomorrow the maneuver bis will reach the parliamentary commissions, but total chaos still reigns over the changes to be made to the text. Among the myriad of old and new proposals that every day (re)emerge from the quarrels between ministers, undersecretaries and ladies and gentlemen, here is once again that little word so hated by Berlusconi's bona fides. Patrimonial.
This time it is pronounced by the Minister of Simplifications, Roberto Calderoli, who proposes a variation on the theme. This would be a levy on luxury goods, which would affect "a certain size of houses, or the fact that perhaps it is necessary to have one car and not two, just as it is not essential to have a yacht or a boat". In short, a tax "on those goods decidedly above an average standard of living".
This is Carroccio's latest attempt to try to reduce the sting to local authorities which is undermining the relationship between the party and the base in the north-east. It will be discussed today during the summit in via Bellerio, which will be attended by the entire staff of the League.
The suspicion is that this is an entirely internal debate within Bossi's party, given that this morning the Minister of Economic Development, Paolo Romani, said he "doesn't believe that the issue of property assets can become topical again in this parliamentary passage". In the afternoon, the Minister of Labour, Maurizio Sacconi, increased the dose: it is not even worth talking about the proposal for a maneuvering balance sheet, also because "both Pdl and Pd, i.e. the two major majority and opposition parties in Parliament, they are against it".
PENSIONS: THE PRESSING OF THE PDL CONTINUES, BUT THE LEAGUE WON'T GIVE UP
It is on this terrain that the most exhausting game is played. It seems that the new secretary Angelino Alfano has convinced the various hotheads of the PDL to unite on the need for new measures in the field of social security. In particular, the idea would be to bring forward from 2013 to 2012 the obligation to reach "quota 97" (62 years of age plus 35 of contributions, or 61 plus 36 and so on) to obtain the seniority allowance. The value of the provision would be around 400 million. Many are also calling for a new intervention on the retirement age of women in the private sector.
But Northern League's opposition to any intervention on pensions continues to be stubborn. To soften the allies, Alfano throws the only possible counterpart on the table: "I hope that the friends of the League understand that the reduction in cuts to local authorities can be balanced by an intervention on the pension reform". Words to which Bossi replied with a fart. “I'm not cutting the pensions of poor people – explained the leader of the Carroccio later -, the local authorities will get along and with a little noise. The Government will find the money for them”.
A resounding no on this front also comes from the oppositions, UDC excluded. "We do not accept that by adjusting pensions we want to raise money to the detriment of workers and pensioners - says the president of the Democratic Party, Rosy Bindi - We do not want once again to pay the costs of recovery and the crisis are those who have always paid" .
VAT: IT IS STILL POSSIBLE TO INCREASE BY ONE POINT
The idea of increasing the ordinary VAT rate from 20 to 21% remains standing. An increase that would bring about 6 billion to the state coffers. This is the path that Berlusconi would like to follow to reduce the solidarity contribution. New supporters of the proposal are the PDL Claudio Scajola and the governor of Campania Stefano Caldoro.
Giulio Tremonti's perplexities remain, worried by a possible "consumption contraction". In any case, there would be space for such an intervention even in a few months, with the application of the fiscal delegation, in order to also lighten the cuts on assistance.
FAMILY QUOTIENT: THOSE WHO HAVE 3 OR MORE CHILDREN AND EARN LESS THAN 15 THOUSAND EUROS DO NOT PAY THE SUPER TAX
Another way to round off the corners of the supertax would be the introduction of the family quotient, also indirectly solicited by the secretary of the CEI, Angelo Bagnasco. The latest to relaunch the proposal was Fini's deputy in the Chamber, Maurizio Lupi. In the meantime, undersecretary Carlo Giovanardi has announced the contents of the amendment.
The Government would like to lower the levy threshold to 80 euros for those without children, while exempting families with three or more children with an annual income of less than 150 euros from the payment. For large families whose earnings exceed this figure, the rate would be 5 instead of 10%.
DISPOSAL: THE STATE SELLS ITS REAL ESTATE
In the viewfinder there are barracks and public offices. This is a desperate measure, which could be thrown on the table if no final agreement is found on other interventions. The vehicle that the state could use to sell its assets is Fintecna. The Finance Law for the Industrial and Services Sectors could confiscate a certain share of the properties, providing immediate liquidity in exchange. The total assets from which to draw exceeds 500 billion euros.
Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa has not ruled out the possibility of putting properties owned by the Armed Forces on the market, but only on condition that the revenues end up in the defense coffers.
NEW FREQUENCIES, IDV: THE STATE SELLS THEM TO MAKE CASH
The IDV proposes that the Government sell the new digital frequencies at its disposal. According to Antonio Di Pietro, "they must be auctioned and the proceeds must be deducted from the maneuver to replace the cuts to local authorities, that is, in a nutshell, to services for citizens, health, education, public transport" .
REINTRODUCTION FALSE BUDGET
The Democratic Party is studying the possibility of reintroducing the crime of false accounting, abolished by the Berlusconi government. This would be the last amendment that could be part of the counter maneuver developed by the party.
ROMANS: SUPPORT FOR ITALIAN COMPANIES IN LIBYA
The maneuver could also contain an amendment in favor of Italian companies active in Libya that have been damaged in recent months. This was announced today by the Minister of Economic Development, Paolo Romani, at the Communion Liberation meeting underway in Rimini. In any case, Italy will continue to "maintain with the new government the part it has always had in the North African country".
NAPOLITANO'S WARNING: "ENOUGH INSTRUMENTAL APPROACHES TO THE CRISIS".
"When we are preparing to discuss new emergency measures in Parliament, we need to free ourselves from narrow and instrumental approaches". This is the warning launched yesterday by the President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano.
"It is possible that we hesitated to recognize the criticality of our situation - added the Head of State as he opened the Rimini convention - and the actual seriousness and the questions because the majority and government forces were dominated by the concern to support the validity of one's work, also through propagandist simplifications and consolatory comparisons on a European scale?”.
It is necessary to make "better choices through an open and serious comparison and with maximum fairness as a condition of acceptability". At the top of the list is tax evasion, "a distortion, from an economic, legal and moral point of view, which has become intolerable".
THE PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS SCHEDULED
On Friday at 14 pm, in front of Palazzo Chigi, there will be a protest by the National Association of Small Towns of Italy (Anpci). On 29 August all the mayors of the Anci will take to the streets for a great mobilization in Milan. On 23 September, the demonstration of the municipal administrations of the Center will be held in Perugia. As far as the trade unions are concerned, Fiom has announced a demonstration for 5 and 6 September in the squares of many cities and in front of the Senate.
