Matteo Renzi's debut at the Council of Europe will not be anonymous. During today's meeting in Brussels, the Italian Premier will ask that the structural funds be excluded from the constraints set by the Stability Pact. This was announced by Vasco Errani, president of the Conference of Regions, after a summit at Palazzo Chigi on the reforms. "The Government will raise the question, as the previous Executive did - added Errani -, then we'll see what the outcome will be".
But it's not over. At the end of the same meeting, Piero Fassino, number one of the National Association of Italian Municipalities, specified that the head of government will ask Europe that the resources allocated for school construction and hydrogeological reorganization also remain outside the calculation relating to parameters set by the Stability Pact.
“Today's is an important first step – said Fassino -. It will be asked to overcome the constraint of the stability pact in relation to community funds and the allocations that the Government has foreseen for school construction and hydrogeological reorganization. But other steps must follow: the rapid overcoming of the pact in 2014 for small municipalities and in 2015 for everyone”.
Yesterday Renzi illustrated to the Chamber the guidelines of his speech today before the leaders of the European Union. The Prime Minister assured that he will arrive in Brussels with a package of reforms that have "certain deadlines" and "very broad coverage".
As for the deficit-GDP ratio, the Premier will not ask that Italy be allowed to violate the 3% limit imposed by the Maastricht agreements, but believes that it is an "objectively anachronistic" parameter.
According to some rumors, in the Economic and Financial Document which will be approved on 10 April, the Government intends to raise the 2014 deficit well beyond the 2,6% forecast so far. Apparently not even 2,8% would be an acceptable target for the Executive, which would aim to reach the insurmountable border of three percentage points. An open challenge to Brussels, because the Fiscal Compact - which will enter into force on 2015 January 3 - not only requires keeping the ratio below XNUMX%, but also reducing the structural deficit so as to bring down the debt.
Meanwhile, on the internal front, Palazzo Chigi announces that "next week the Government intends to close the text of the reform of Title V of the Constitution and of the Senate, including the positive proposals that will arrive from the Regions".
