Meloni: with the right wing, never wealth. Schlein's reply: the government helps the rich. But Conte stands aside

'Capital assets reappear cyclically in the proposals of the left. It is reassuring to know that, with the right wing in government, they will never see the light of day. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's stance on X arrives the day after a long-distance exchange of views on wealth tax on Friday between the Dem secretary Elly Schlein (who on 6 November had relaunched the hypothesis of a European tax on large estates) and M5s leader Giuseppe Conte, who on the following day had been much more cautious ("super-taxed assets will not give great resources to solve emergencies"). A position reiterated after Meloni's tweet: 'As far as we are concerned - we are an independent progressive force - a patrimonial asset is not on the agenda'. Thus positioning the M5s on such a sensitive issue as taxation (as well as on immigration) to the 'right' of Schlein's PD. A useful profile to intercept 'moderate' votes in view of the 2027 politics and the possible coalition primaries to choose the progressive candidate.

Schlein's reply was not long in coming either, accusing the executive's economic policies: 'With Giorgia Meloni in government,' attacked the PDD secretary, 'the tax burden has risen to 42.8%, the highest in the last ten years. This is what the government's data says, not the PD. The Meloni government has increased taxes for everyone. And as if that were not enough, in the next manoeuvre it will intervene on the Irpef and help the richest instead of the impoverished middle class. Istat says so, that 85% of the resources will go to the richest families. With what face does he wake up this morning and attack the oppositions? His government will be remembered as the one of the bloodletting for Italian families and businesses and for aiding the richest'.

But Conte also wanted to take a stand. "I would like to send a message directly to Meloni who wanted to make a post today: resign yourself, I don't know if there is a discussion on capital on the left, but as far as we are concerned - we are an independent progressive force - a capital is not on the agenda." And again: this 'is the government of taxes, it's been ten years now and we have a record tax burden' that 'has fallen' especially 'on the middle class, which has been completely impoverished, and on the weaker sections of the population. This is the real patrimony, let's not distract the citizens from the real problems'.

Tranchat Matteo Renzi, for whom on the patrimonial property 'Meloni's media masterpiece and yet another media own goal by the centre-left' is being played out, because 'Giorgia Meloni has dramatically increased taxes', so 'the opposition today could have an easy time of it and pressurise' the premier 'by demanding that with the right there are more taxes. But it does not do so because a piece of the left instead of calling for lower taxes raises wealth'. At the same time, therefore, 'the woman who raised the tax burden suddenly becomes the champion who defends citizens from the tax-collecting state. And the left that could gain consensus on the battle to lower taxes finds itself stuck in the role of vampire'

Yet patrimonial property, after New York's newly elected socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani launched a proposal for a 2% increase in city income tax for those earning over $1 million (to finance promised social measures for low- and middle-income earners) is topical on the left. The topic is very dear to Avs, who would also like to see patrimonial assets in Italy alone. "Meloni writes that "with the right wing in government never patrimonial assets". Why should those who are super-rich not make a contribution to support public health and increase salaries and pensions that are among the lowest in Europe? We are on the side of the poor and the middle class. Meloni is on the side of the super-rich and defends a system that is increasingly socially unjust. After all, she has already said no - along with Trump - to the global minimum tax on large multinationals,' attacks Avs MP and Greens co-spokesperson Angelo Bonelli.