Not only Renata Polverini and her (former) council of the Lazio Region. In the absence of national legislation that regulates the funding and above all the expenses of the Regions, the scandal is about to hit many other Regions, from Veneto to Campania, with the most classic of domino effects.
The legislative vacuum, which the Government is now undertaking to fill after the devastation of the PDL group's spending spree at the Lazio regional council, concerns the fact that parties and councilors are not required to justify the expenses incurred with receipts or invoices, not even to indicate their purpose. The Corriere della Sera investigation, which examined 12 local authorities, which eight (clearly including Lazio) do not have a regulation that obliges politicians to attach receipts and invoices. The only viruous cases are those of Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany and Liguria.
The law of the Lazio Region that has allowed this phenomenon of the "Region-ATM" is the 6/73: provides for a monthly contribution of 1.500 euros for each group, plus a variable fee of 750 euros for each councilor. Each group is then entitled to a monthly contribution for costs of updating, collaborators and political activity which is established by the regional council's presidency office. Body which, under the Polverini administration with Prime Minister Mario Abbruzzese, increased the funds for the groups from 1 to 13,9 million.
But even in the South you don't mess around. In Sicily there are 12 million and 600 thousand funds allocated to political parties and no reporting obligation. In detail: 3.500 euros for each deputy, plus various funds for those who work in the group. An army of 70 people who receive from 1.500 (the employee) to 4.100 euros (the bagman). Sardinia is right behind them with its eight groups that cost 5 million and 152 thousand euros a year (total expenditure over 20 million and 200 thousand euros). The obligation to present supporting documents is stemmed by choosing the path of flat-rate reimbursements: in addition to the net allowance of 2.720 euros per month, each director receives a per diem ranging from 3.202 to 4.163 euros, a reimbursement for secretarial and 2.346 euros for 12 months and a contribution towards costs of documentation and technological equipment of 9 euros a year.
Even the "virtuoso" Northern Italy is no different. Again according to the investigation conducted by the Corriere, the sixty councilors of Veneto receive 2.100 euros net per month "out of envelope" for tax-free reimbursements that do not require the obligation to present justifications. The justification was that the money is used to cover petrol costs. After two calculations, however, it is as if each councilor traveled something like 16 kilometers a month.
