Budget, Giorgetti: open to changes but not to altering load-bearing walls
The Minister for the Economy responds to the opposition: ‘You who are close to the banks, come up with a plan for the banks, and we’ll be happy to renew our Habsburg-style policy and shoulder this burden, even for the final stretch of this parliamentary term.’
Key points
- ‘On South American Superbonuses? My Habsburg approach’
- ‘You, who are close to the banks, have tabled an amendment to the Superbonus’
- ‘One-off measures? Even in the first year, then structural’
- ‘Cuts to schools? Unfortunately, it’s the pupils who are bearing the brunt’
- ‘We haven’t done everything we wanted to, but we’ve done a lot for young people’
- “I hope to see progress in the EU on cyber security for the use of NEC in defence”
The Minister for the Economy, Giancarlo Giorgetti, sent a clear message to MPs and senators on the Budget Committees whilst answering questions during the hearing in the Chamber of Deputies: ‘I can assure you that the debate is – as is always the case – open amongst the parliamentary groups, including those in the majority, each with their own concerns. Two points remain firm: any amendment must be financially covered – that goes without saying, but it is worth reiterating. So ‘the die is not yet cast’; indeed, we are open to proposals that are financially covered.’ Thus, there is openness to amendments, but only if they are financially covered; however, there will be no changes to the cornerstones of the budget: ‘When I was a child, during the holidays, my dad used to send me out to work as a “magutt” (a bricklayer, ed. ) and – he added – I know the difference between load-bearing walls and partition walls: load-bearing walls must not be touched, but partition walls can be, because they do not cause the structure to collapse. This kind of approach means that on certain issues – provided there are proposals with the necessary funding in place – I believe the minister should not dig in his heels’.
‘On South American Superbonuses? My Habsburg approach’
‘The decision to spread the Superbonus over 10 years has been criticised – a measure described by Messina as “South American” – but I would like to point out that a Habsburg-style minister has taken it upon himself to absorb 140 billion into the state budget, and without this contribution the debt-to-GDP ratio would have fallen to 132 per cent; I stand by the Habsburg-style policy of these past four years; it is there to serve as a reminder of this principle. Go ahead and try it yourselves, you in the opposition who are close to the banks, and we’ll be delighted. I stand by this Habsburg-style approach of mine and I also take responsibility for the mistakes of others; I’m not here to compete.’ So said the Minister for the Economy in response to questions from MPs during a hearing on the budget regarding the criticism levelled by Intesa Sanpaolo’s CEO Carlo Messina regarding the provision on the ‘superbonus’ in the Budget Law. He added: ‘I realise that my destiny would be that of a major bank, but after today’s statements, I’ve been sidelined.’
‘You, who are close to the banks, have tabled an amendment to the Superbonus’
“This is another partition,” he added, “it’s there to serve as a reminder of this principle, all right? You in the opposition, who are close to the banks, go ahead and have a go at it; we’ll be happy to renew our Habsburg-style policy and, in these final days of the parliamentary term, to shoulder this burden.”
‘One-off measures? Even in the first year, then structural’
In response to the comments regarding the many one-off measures, Giorgetti said: ‘There are many one-off measures, but I recall that you criticised them even at the very first sitting, and in the first year too; they then became permanent. I hope the same will happen in this case as well, but it also depends on the political situation at the time.’
‘Cuts to schools? Unfortunately, they’re cutting students out altogether’
“Unfortunately, the education sector is reducing its own student numbers. It is a dire situation.” This was stated by the Minister for the Economy, Giancarlo Giorgetti, during a hearing before the joint Budget Committees of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate on the Budget Bill, in response to a question about cuts to the education sector in light of the demographic decline.
