How much does the Quirinale cost? Waiting to know who will be the next Head of State, let's take a look at the numbers of his administration. On 9 January, less than a week before the resignation of Giorgio Napolitano, the Presidency of the Republic released the explanatory note of the budget forecast for 2015, from which it emerges that the Colle apparatus will weigh on the public coffers for 224 million euro.
This year's account thus returns to the level of 2007, marking a reduction of around seven million compared to 2009. However, if we take into account the inflation accrued over the last eight years, the real value of expenditure has decreased by 13% from 2007 to 2014.
Net of reserve funds and the purely accounting effects of transfer items, the "total expenditure for the year envisaged for 2015" actually amounts to 236,8 million (100 thousand euros less than the 2014 budget), while gross of these two items the "general total" reaches 344,3 million.
The real expense is however of 236,8 million and, as mentioned, weighs 224 million on the state budget. The remaining sum comes for 10,9 million from the Quirinale's own revenue (including interest income on deposits and social security contributions paid by permanent staff) and 1,9 million from the administration surplus.
WHAT ARE THE 236,8 MILLION INTENDED FOR?
The breakdown is as follows:
– Pensions for permanent personnel: 92,1 million (38,89% of total expenditure).
– Institutional functions: 42,2 million (17,82%).
– General services: 42,8 million (18,07%).
– Property endowment and enhancement of the artistic heritage: 33,9 million euros (14,32%).
– Security: 13,9 million (5,87%).
– Administration: 11,9 million (5,03%).
From these data it emerges that the expenditure directly linked to the exercise of presidential functions amounts to 114,8 million, "substantially in line - specifies Colle - with the costs of similar administrations in other countries". From the total of 236,8 million, in fact, we must subtract the 92,1 million of pension expenditure (which in other countries is not charged to the Presidency, but to various pension schemes) and the costs for the management of real estate properties, which also include estates of Castelporziano and Villa Rosebery.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK AT THE QUIRINALE?
Including the security personnel, on 31 December 2014 Colle employees were 1.636, or 545 fewer than the same date in 2006. During 2015 – underlines the Presidency again – there will be “further reductions in seconded personnel and expenditure for the security sector, already reduced to less than 6% of total expenditure (13,9 million euros, compared to 14,3 last year), burdening the expenditure for such personnel, largely prevalently, on the administrations to which they belong".
HOW MUCH DOES THE STAFF COST?
Personnel costs amounted to 90,67% of total expenses. In particular, the account for employees in service amounted to 122,6 million euros (51,78% of the total), down by 0,8 million compared to the 2014 budget and by more than 16 million compared to the 2008. For former workers who are now retired, on the other hand, the expenditure amounts to approximately 92,1 million euros (38,89% of the general account), an increase of 0,9 million euros compared to 2014.
HOW MUCH DO GOODS AND SERVICES COST?
This year, expenditure on goods and services reaches 22,09 million (equal to 9,33% of total costs), 0,2 million euro less than the initial levels of 2014, "substantially confirming the reduction of these expenditure started in previous years – explains Colle – despite the inflation and the increase in tax burdens (primarily VAT)”.
WHAT WERE THE CUTS IN 2014?
The amount of 224 million is confirmed for the entire three-year period 2015-2017 "thanks to the additional expenditure reduction measures adopted during 2014 - the Presidency continues -, with which it will be possible to achieve the structural rebalancing between revenue and expenditure , despite a reduction in the budget of four million euros compared to each year of the previous three-year period 2012-2014”.
Among the various measures applied or implemented by the Administration of the Presidency in 2014 we mention
– the solidarity contribution on pensions envisaged by the Stability Law for 2014;
– equalization of the indemnity of the Secretary General to that envisaged for the President's Councillors, equal to 141 thousand euros gross per year;
– the application of the ceiling of 240 thousand euros gross per year to the remuneration of the Chairman's contract directors and to personnel salaries;
– the extension of the block on any automatic and contractual adjustment of salaries and pensions;
– reductions in allowances for civilian and military personnel seconded from other administrations;
– the average 15% cut in the salaries of personnel who will be hired in the future through competition;
– the slowdown in the economic progression for the highest salary levels of the personnel in service;
– raising the age limit required for early retirement to 60;
– the transposition "with limited and specific powers of derogation" of the ban on assigning tasks to retired personnel;
– the rationalization of the administrative structure with a consequent reduction in the number of indemnities and an increase in personnel mobility.
To the cuts must be added the 4,5 million that Colle returned to the Treasury last year "pursuant to article 17, paragraph 1, of the decree-law of 24 April 2014".
