The week that is coming to an end has been a complicated one for Giorgia Meloni, a week that saw the two pillars on which his executive is based waver. In a ministerial team full of weak or very weak points, two apparently reliable figures stood out, according to observers: the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, and that of the Economy, Giancarlo Giorgetti.
The first one ran into the well-known Affair of the weekend at Dubai, already embarrassing enough in itself. The minister managed to turn it into a chasm. In such cases, the first rule is to adopt a low profile. But Crosetto, who prides himself on not needing a spokesperson, preferred to go it alone, starting with the torrential statement on Sunday afternoon in which he announced his return to Italy on a state flight reimbursed at triple its cost (who knows why), awaiting an important call with the Pentagon, which was lost track of in subsequent parliamentary hearings. He continued with interviews with various newspapers. Republic His heartfelt outburst is noteworthy: "No one has shown solidarity with my family. Italians don't deserve the sacrifices I've made over the years..." Communications-wise, it's heartbreaking. In parliamentary hearings, he bypassed the government on the left, talking about illegal military interventions, because Crosetto has a secret dream in his heart: the Quirinale, which requires a bipartisan stance. At Chigi, he's detested by Undersecretary Fazzolari, at least ever since he forced Roberto Cingolani's Leonardo to overpay for the hated Elkann-led Iveco. Meloni is also furious. She's spreading denials, but if they loved Crosetto, why would they let him crash like this?
Less relevant from a media point of view, but much more painful for the political and economic consequences is the Giorgetti affairEurostat has announced that 2025 will close with a deficit/GDP ratio of 3,1%, which will prevent Italy from extricating itself from the infringement procedure, a goal for which the Ministry of Economy and Finance had sacrificed any growth ambitions in the budget law. This assertion is not yet confirmed; some economists not suspected of government sympathies, such as Enzo Cipolletta, believe the final revision will bring the ratio back to 3% or perhaps slightly lower. In short, experts are looking to Istat. like the fans in the VAR room after a dubious goalThe consequences, as mentioned, are very significant. The first, in chronological order, is that Italy will not have access to Safe funds, which Europe has allocated for Defense, or rather will be able to use it but by running a deficit, therefore without taking advantage of the possibility, granted to virtuous countries, of keeping these investments off the budget. Since Italy has already presented an expenditure report of 15-18 billion, using it would mean finding itself with a deficit/GDP ratio of 4%. The result is that, after so many proclamations about the country's necessary rearmament, there will be nothing to spend and this will not help the one Trump had called an "extraordinary leader". With a hint of malice, one might observe that Giorgetti, always careful to mark a certain distance from Matteo Salvini and to reclaim the old liberal spirit of the League, ends up doing exactly what his pro-Putin secretary wants. Among other things, the reason given by the Treasury for the The failure to reach the 3% target is quite laughable: the effects of the SuperbonusBut the Superbonus was blocked as soon as Giorgetti entered the XX Settembre chambers, and it's understandable that there may have been a certain knock-on effect. But after four years? And then: couldn't something be invented for 0,1%?
The last consequence is also the most serious. With public accounts in infringement proceedings, it will be virtually impossible to draft an "electoral" budget., which will put something in the pockets of Italians mowed down by fiscal drag. We'll continue with the usual soup cooked up by Giorgetti and endorsed by Accountant General Perrotta. The Prime Minister will have to invent some of her own devilish tricks, like the one that made her say: with 5% of MPS we no longer count for anything, let's leave it to the market.It's a shame that this government has played all the roles in the bank takeovers: it has changed the laws, organized targeted sales of MPS shares to the takeover bids, and engaged in tug-of-war with Brussels and the ECB in Frankfurt (which, fortunately, are not yet over). But of course, the team around Giorgia isn't helping; in fact, they're making one mess after another.
