Spending review, it's also up to the Senate

Cuts on the skills of senators, spending review, personnel interventions: the spending review also involves the Senate budget. In the three-year period 2012-2014, effective savings of over 110 million euros will be obtained which will be returned to the state budget, partly in the form of a smaller financial allocation to be requested from the Treasury (approximately -76 million euros) and partly in the form of the direct repayment to the tax authorities (approximately -34,3 million euros). Already in 2012, the Senate will return 21 million euros to the State. All this as a consequence of the approval of the accounts by the Presidential Council of the internal budget of the Senate. 

These results were obtained 1) with cuts made on the competences of senators and, in particular, on parliamentary allowances and revision and rebalancing interventions, including annuities, ancillary powers, office and per diem allowances as well as the overall status of former Presidents of the Senate; 2) starting an analysis cycle e expense evaluation; 3) with interventions for employees of the Senate. In addition to the application of all the containment measures foreseen for the public sector (5 and 10 per cent cuts on salaries starting from January 2011 and 15 per cent cuts on the highest pensions since August 2011), every contractual adjustment.

Furthermore, the turn-over block, which has already led to a reduction in the workforce (from 978 to 898 units from 1 January 2011 to 1 July 2012), will continue in the coming years. In pension matters, the contributory method is already in force for everyone around the clock. Overall, the cost of personnel in service decreased by 13 percent compared to the previous year.