Giorgia Meloni presented itself to the Chamber for the traditional programmatic declarations in view of the vote of confidence to be held in the evening in Montecitorio and tomorrow in the Senate. He spoke for about an hour and a quarter, pronouncing the word "freedom" several times and celebrating the arrival of a "political government fully representative of the popular will". A speech, the one made by the Premier, directed to the classroom, to Italian citizens, but also to EU markets and institutions, who on several occasions have expressed their concern for the fate of the country. The Prime Minister has repeatedly reassured that "Italy will respect all EU rules", but also reaffirmed the Atlanticist position and support for Ukraine that the new Executive will maintain in the near future. Not only that: in Italy there will be no “neo-fascist drift”, another fear expressed several times by international observers and politicians, because "I have never felt sympathy or closeness to fascism," Meloni underlined.
Having filed the "reassurance" chapter and sent the necessary messages across the border, the Prime Minister concentrated on internal politics, clarifying what the intentions of the new government are on the main Italian dossiers. And so go on with presidentialism, his workhorse for years, but also with a new one fiscal pact based on three pillars: incremental flat tax, tax truce and fight against tax evasion. The Premier has also harshly criticized the CBI, calling it "a defeat". Exposing its intentions in matters of the economy, the Premier has not however indicated what will be the coverage for the promised measures.
Talking about the pandemic, Meloni also assured that "in no case will the" restrictive "previously adopted" model be replicated, while on theimmigration he relaunched the Mattei plan and promised a tough fist: "The smugglers will not be the ones to select who enters Italy".
Meloni on Draghi: "Fast and serene handover"
The incipit of his speech is dedicated to thanks: to the government allies, to the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, "who in following up on the Italians' indications did not let me miss his precious advice", and to the former Premier Mario Draghi “which, both nationally and internationally, has in recent weeks offered all its availability so that there is a fast and serene handover. Even if the new government, ironically, is led by the sole opposition party in his government. There has been a lot of embroidery on this but there is nothing strange, this is how it should always be, this is how it should be in large democracies”, said the Premier in her confidence speech in the Chamber.
The President of the Council has then thanked the Italian people “with regret for the many who have renounced to vote, citizens who consider their vote useless because it is then decided in the palaces or in exclusive circles. Today we interrupt this great Italian anomaly, giving life to a fully representative political government of the will of the people,” Meloni said.
“We will put the national interest before that of partisans and parties, we want to free the best energies of this country and guarantee a future of greater freedom, justice and well-being. If to do it we will have to bother potentates or making choices that cannot be shared immediately by some citizens, we will not back down because we are not lacking in courage. We will keep the commitments made with the citizens”, said the Prime Minister in a combative tone.
The first woman to head the government
“Among the many weights that I feel resting on my shoulders today is that of being the first female head of government of this nation. When I dwell on the extent of this fact" I feel "the responsibility I have towards all those women who go through difficulties to affirm their talent", the premier said again. Meloni also recalled those women who “built that ladder that today allows me to break the glass roof“. “I thank the women who dared, out of impetus, out of reason out of love, like Cristina, Rosalie dei Mille, like Alfonsina against prejudices Grazia, Tina, Nilde, Oriana, Samantha Chiara, thank you for showing Italian value that I hope to do ”
"Whoever wants to watch over us can make better use of his time"
“Voters have chosen the center-right” with its programme, “we will keep those commitments. I am well aware that some observers and the opposition will not like many of our "proposals, but I don't support the drift whereby democracy is more for someone and less for someone else", she said.
“There are those who want to watch over our government. I would say to them that I can spend their time better: in this hall there are valid and combative opposition forces that can make themselves heard without needing external help. I stress that those from abroad who say they want to monitor Italy are not disrespectful not to me but to the Italian people who have no lessons to take,” Meloni said.
Melons: "Italy part of the West and of NATO: we will respect the EU rules"
"Italy is fully part of the West and its system of alliances: he was the founder of the EU, of the Atlantic alliance, part of the G7 and cradle together with Greece of Western civilization and its system of values, freedom, equality and democracy" and its "classical and Judeo-Christian roots ”, said Meloni recalling Saint Benedict, patron saint of Europe.
“It doesn't escape me the curiosity for the position that Italy will have in Europe, within the institutions, because that is the place where he will make his voice heard strongly,” Meloni said. Then the reassurances: “Italy will continue to be a reliable partner of the Atlantic alliance and to give support to the brave Ukrainian people not only because we cannot accept the war of annexation but also because it is the best way to defend our national interest as well. Those who believe that it is possible to trade the freedom of Ukraine for our freedom are wrong. Giving in to Putin's blackmail would not solve the problem".
Our goal, he stressed, “it is not to curb or sabotage European integration but help direct it towards greater effectiveness in responding to crises", said the Prime Minister, underlining that "Those who ask themselves questions" about Europe "are not enemies or heretics but pragmatists who are not afraid to say whether something can work better. We need more effective integration to face the great challenges”, declared the Premier, quoting “the founding motto of the EU 'united in diversity'. This government will respect the rules in force and will contribute to change” some of them, starting with the stability pact, he added.
“Only an Italy that respects its commitments can have the authority to ask at European and Western levels, for example, that the burdens of the international crisis be divided in a more balanced way. This is what we intend to do, starting with the energy issue ”, she reiterated.
Meloni on energy: "Encouraging signs, but announcements need to be followed up"
Speaking precisely of the energy emergency, Meloni said: “the signals received from the last European Council represent a step forward, also achieved thanks to the efforts of my predecessor and Minister Cingolani, but they are still insufficient. The absence, still today, of a common response leaves room for measures by individual national governments, which risk undermining the internal market and the competitiveness of our businesses”.
“On the price front – he continued – if on the one hand it is true that the mere discussion of containment measures has momentarily curbed speculation, on the other we must be aware that if there is no quickly followed the announcements with timely and effective mechanisms, speculation will restart”.
Digital transition: “We will ensure public ownership of networks”
“We intend to protect national strategic infrastructures aensuring public ownership of networks, on which companies will be able to offer services in a regime of free competition, starting with that of communications. The digital transition, strongly supported by the Pnrr, must be accompanied by technological sovereignty, the national cloud and cyber-security".
Meloni on inflation, the ECB and the Pnrr: "We are in the midst of a storm"
"We are in the midst of a storm - Meloni said again -, with a boat that has suffered several damages, and the Italians have entrusted to us the task of leading the ship to port in this very difficult crossing”.
Cons inflation “it is essential to intervene with measures aimed at increasing the disposable income of families, starting with the reduction of taxes on productivity bonuses, further raising the threshold for exemption of so-called fringe benefits and strengthening corporate welfare. At the same time, we must be able to broaden the range of primary goods that benefit from the VAT reduced to 5%. Concrete measures, which we will detail in the next budget law, on which we are already working".
The decision that “the ECB, like other central banks, for the first time after 11 years, to raise interest rates is considered by many to be a risky choice and which risks having repercussions on bank lending to households and businesses, and which is added to that already taken by the same Central Bank to end, as of 1 July 2022, the program of purchase of fixed-income securities on the open market, creating an additional difficulty for those Member States that have a high public debt".
"I feel like saying that if this government manages to do what it has in mind - explained Meloni -, betting on Italy could be not only a safe investment, but perhaps even a bargain. Because the horizon we want to look towards is not next year or the next electoral deadline, what interests us is how Italy will be in ten years”.
“Il Pnrr is an extraordinary opportunity to modernize Italy: we all have a duty to make the most of it. The challenge is complex due to the structural and bureaucratic limits that have always made it difficult for Italy to be able to fully use even the European funds of ordinary programming. Suffice it to say that the Update Note to the 2022 Def has reduced public spending activated by the PNRR to 15 billion compared to the 29,4 billion envisaged in last April's Def", said Meloni, promising: "We will spend the 68,9 billion in grants and the 122,6 billion loan granted to Italy by the Next Generation EU. Without delays and without waste, and agreeing with the European Commission on the necessary adjustments to optimize spending, above all in the light of the rise in the prices of raw materials and the energy crisis. Because these matters are tackled with a pragmatic, non-ideological approach.
"The way to reduce debt it is not blind austerity or creative adventurism.” The only way is "structural growth". For this reason “we are open to foreign investments, but without“ predatory logic ”, he added.
"I am ready to do what needs to be done, even if it means not being understood, even not being re-elected, to make the fate of this nation easier."
On internal politics: reform of presidentialism, the South and Roma Capitale
“We firmly believe that Italy needs one presidential constitutional reform, which guarantees stability and restores centrality to popular sovereignty. A reform that allows Italy to move from an "interloquent democracy" to a "decisive democracy". On the reform of presidentialism “we want to discuss this with all the political forces present in Parliament, to arrive at the best and most shared reform possible. But let it be clear that we will not give up on reforming Italy faced with prejudicial oppositions - he warned - In that case we will act according to the mandate given to us on this issue by the Italians: to give Italy an institutional system in which whoever wins governs for five years and in the end is judged by the voters for what he managed to do”. “We want to start from the hypothesis of semi-presidentialism on French model, which in the past had also obtained wide approval from the center-left, but we also remain open to other solutions ”, added Meloni.
“I am convinced that this turning point is also the best opportunity to return to pose the southern question is at the center of Italy's agenda. The South is no longer seen as a problem but as an opportunity for development for the whole nation. We will work hard to close an unacceptable infrastructure gap, eliminate inequalities, create jobs, ensure social security and improve the quality of life. We must be able to put an end to the hoax whereby the South exports manpower, intelligence and capital,” said the Premier.
“It is our intention to complete the process to give a Rome capital city the powers and resources that belong to a large European capital and give new centrality to our Municipalities. Because every bell tower and every village is a piece of our identity to be defended, Meloni declared in the speech for confidence in the Chamber.
Taxation, work, basic income and school
“From this Copernican revolution a new fiscal deal, which will rest on three pillars. The first: reduce the tax burden on businesses and households through a reform in the name of fairness: Irpef reform with the progressive introduction of the family quotient and extension of the flat tax for VAT numbers from the current 65 euros to 100 euros in turnover. And, next to this, the introduction of flat tax on income growth compared to the maximum reached in the previous three years: a virtuous measure, with limited impact for the state coffers ”, promised Meloni.
“The second” point of the fiscal pact will be “a tax truce to allow citizens and businesses (in particular to SMEs) having difficulty regularizing their position with the tax authorities. “The third will be “a close fight against tax evasion (starting from total evaders, large companies and large VAT frauds)" which must be "a real fight against" evasion, not revenue hunting", and will be "accompanied by a change in the criteria for evaluating the results of the Revenue, which we want to anchor to the amounts actually collected and not to simple disputes, as has incredibly happened so far".
“There is a theme of rampant poverty” that should not “be ignored. Holiness of him Pope Francis, to whom I address an affectionate greeting, recently reiterated an important concept: 'Poverty cannot be fought with welfare, the door to a man's dignity is work'”. "We want to maintain and, where possible, increase the necessary economic support for truly fragile individuals who are not able to work", but "for the others", "the solution cannot be the basic incomebut work". “The way citizenship income was conceived was a defeat,” she added.
Turning to pensions, “The priority for the future will be a pension system which also guarantees the younger generations and those who will receive the check only on the basis of the contributory regime", said Meloni, in his speech for confidence in the Chamber, adding that it is "a social bomb that we continue to ignore but which will invest millions in the future of current workers, who will end up with allowances that are even much lower than the already inadequate ones that are currently perceived".
“There is another important educational institution, perhaps the most important. And it's family. We intend to support and protect it; and with this support the birth rate – Meloni promised – To get out of the demographic glaciation”, we need “an imposing, economic but also cultural plan, to rediscover the beauty of parenthood and put the family back at the center of society. Our commitment” is “of increase the amounts of the single and universal allowance and to help young couples obtain a mortgage for their first home, working progressively for the introduction of the family ratio”.
Meloni: "Never felt sympathy for regimes, including fascism"
“Freedom and democracy are the distinctive elements of contemporary European civilization in which I have always recognized myself. And therefore, in spite of what has been instrumentally supported, I don't have never felt sympathy or closeness to anti-democratic regimes. For no regime, including fascism ”, highlighted the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “
I have always considered the racial laws of 1938 to be the lowest point in Italian history, a shame that will mark our people forever. The totalitarian regimes of the 900s tore apart the whole of Europe, not just Italy, for more than half a century, in a succession of horrors that affected a large part of European states”, said the prime minister, responding remotely to international concerns about the possible "neo-fascist drift of Italy".
Pandemic: "We will not repeat the restrictions under any circumstances"
“Unfortunately we cannot rule out a new wave of Covid or the emergence of a new pandemic in the future. But we can learn from the past to be ready," said the prime minister. “On Covid – she added – Italy has adopted some of the most restrictive measures in the West but has recorded some of the worst data. I mean it under no circumstances will we replicate that pattern".
“If you ask citizens for responsibility, the first to demonstrate it must be those who ask for it. It will take clarify what happened during the management of the pandemic crisis. We owe it to those who lost their lives and those who didn't save themselves in the hospital wards, while others made millionaire deals with the sale of masks and respirators".
Mafia and immigration
“Legality will be the polar star of government action. I started doing politics when I was 15, the day after the Via D'Amelio massacre, in which the mafia killed Paolo Borsellino, driven by the idea that one could not stand by and watch, that anger and indignation had to be translated into civic engagement. The path that led me to be Prime Minister today was born from the example of that hero", said Giorgia Meloni, promising: "We will face mafia cancer head on high at the forefront, Criminals will have contempt and inflexibility”.
Speaking then of immigration, Meloni said: "Next October 27 will be the sixtieth anniversary of the death of Enrico Mattei, a great Italian". "Here, I believe that Italy must promote a "Mattei plan" for Africa, a virtuous model of collaboration and growth between the EU and African nations". “We do not intend in any way to question the right of asylum for those fleeing wars and persecutions – he continued – All we want to do in relation to immigration is prevent smugglers from selecting entry into Italy".
