There is no turning back on Italicum and the Jobs Act. As well as on the Severino law, which will remain as it is without discounts on the ineligibility of Silvio Berlusconi. On the other hand, some news could come on the tax decree of 20 February which the Council of Ministers will return to examine on Friday 20 February together with the annual law on competition. Finally, no reverse gear on the reform of cooperative banks which will begin its process in the Chamber from next week.
Here is a summary of the stakes of the government agenda set by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi who, with his usual mix of pragmatism and decision-making, has already freed himself from the pressures coming from right and left after the election of Sergio Mattarella to the Presidency of the Republic, an election which marked a personal success for the Florentine leader and which strengthened his leadership role. "We will bring the reforms home - Renzi wrote on twitter with reference to institutional reforms - and then we will submit them to a referendum, so we will see if the Italians agree with us or who never wants to change anything"
WHICH MAJORITY
To those who ask him whether from now on he will refer to the majority of the Quirinale (this is the request of the minority of the Democratic Party) or to that of the Nazarene (that is, the axis on reforms with Berlusconi, who in truth is much more tepid than before on the institutional reforms after the beating suffered on the Quirinal) or to the government majority despite the wavering of Angelino Alfano's NCD, Renzi responds with the common sense of numbers and with the institutional logic that has accompanied him up to now. This means that on institutional reforms the government will also seek an agreement with the opposition but will not let itself be stopped by blackmail or indecision and therefore will not go back on the electoral law while some adjustments may be made on the reform of the Senate which is under examination of the room.
After all, numbers are numbers and without Berlusconi's support, the Renzi government could not make it in the Senate to carry out institutional reforms because it does not have a majority. Unless the Grillina mountain completely crumbles, but this is a matter for the future and sooner or later even the minority of the Democratic Party will have to come to terms with it, even if the prime minister seems willing to seek a better solution on some aspects of the reform of the Senate and to defend internal peace in his party.
JOBS ACT
There is not even going back on the Jobs Act, for the simple reason that, having become law, it is no longer a political or parliamentary problem but only an implementation one and the consequent decrees will have to enter into force as soon as possible to support the signs of economic recovery with a reform that it makes the labor market more flexible but which ensures more guarantees to those who have never seen article 18 and above all to the new generations.
TAX AND COMPETITION
Furthermore, no discounts to Berlusconi on the taxman and on his candidacy. The Severino law, the premier pointed out, cannot be touched. Some news will instead come on the tax delegation but without gifts for the leader of Forza Italia. Therefore, no discounts for those who have defrauded the tax authorities and the idea of an ad personam law for the head of Fininvest was out of this world before and even more so after the end of the battle for the Quirinale.
The controversy over the famous 3% pro-Berlusconi tax exemption on VAT "is an urban legend - Renzi was keen to point out to "Porta a Porta" - because the principle is simply to exclude sales". As will be seen from the provision that will be discussed again in the Council of Ministers on 20 February which will also have the annual law on competition on the agenda with discounts on motor liability rates linked however to the use of the black box, with the stop to all opening of new pharmacies and the sale of gascia C medicines in large-scale distribution and with more competitive rules for professionals and in particular for notaries and lawyers.
POPULAR BANKS
The line of the Renzi government on the reform of the large cooperative banks is also firm, for the approval of which the prime minister is ready to put his trust if the resistance of the Ncd continues: "We must remove the large cooperative banks - he said - from the hands of local squires who have distorted the concept of Catholic solidarity". And clearer than that it really couldn't be.
