“It is necessary to cut the costs of politics” is by now a phrase that has effectively entered the idiom of the ruling class. Heard, in random order and with little conviction, by exponents of the whole constitutional arc, the phrase has become, in times of crisis, a leitmotif and, as often happens to all the slogans that come to the fore in Italian politics, furious at being repeated, it has lost all credibility and has completely emptied itself of its meaning. Maybe the right time has come? Corriere della Sera has exclusively published a draft bill by Minister Tremonti, which has precisely as its object cutting the costs of the decision-making process.
Seven simple points, almost obvious in their simplicity which, while certainly not sufficient to heal all the ills of the Italian economy, would at least serve to give a signal desired and expected by many. Establish as a ceiling for the salaries of public offices (with the exception of the President of the Republic) the average for similar offices in the Eurozone statistically surveyed, blue cars with engine capacity not exceeding 1600cc, "blue" planes only for 4 top state offices , unification by law of political or administrative elections and referendums. Other points also provide for the cut in party funding, the reduction of the endowment of the institutions, the abolition of benefits, annuities and privileges after the cessation of public office. The government, cornered, tries to get out of the corner by trying to give content to the smoke messages with which the majority and opposition parties have spoken to the country in recent years. Only the future will reveal whether the era of concreteness has finally begun, or whether this bill will remain a dead letter.
