In the Senate

Tax decree, green light in Commission, tomorrow in the Chamber of Deputies. Government beaten on RAI licence fee

The Senate Budget Committee rejected the Carroccio's amendment on cutting the Rai licence fee with 12 votes against and 10 in favour. FdI in support of the leghist proposal

by Redaction Rome

27 November 2024

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Strappo nella maggioranza sul canone Rai, con Fi che ha votato contro l’emendamento della Lega per un taglio del canone.

4' min read

Key points

The Rai licence fee incident
Chigi: majority stumble on Rai licence fee benefits no one
Tajani: no stumbling block on RAI amendment, Fi always opposed
Ok to FdI amendment on payback, League does not participate in vote
Previous
Schlein: 'League against Forza Italia, government in disarray'
Patuanelli (M5s), majority goes under, it's the beginning of the end
Conte: Meloni clarifies whether a majority still exists

4' min read

The majority split and the government went under in the Senate Budget Committee on the amendment tabled by the League to the fiscal decree for the reduction of the Rai Canon. The proposed amendment, which had the rapporteur and government in favour, was rejected by 10 votes to 12. FdI and Lega voted yes, while FI joined the opposition's no vote. The government, reported Raffaella Paita (Iv) had given a favourable opinion.

At close quarters, the League 'tripped' Forza Italia, with the majority splitting once again in the late morning. This time the occasion was provided by another amendment to the measure, proposed by Forza Italia senator Claudio Lotito, on healthcare in Calabria. The League, in this case, abstained while FdI and FI were in favour: the votes in favour were thus lacking to pass the proposed amendment. The government had deferred to the committee room.

In the early afternoon, the Senate Budget Committee gave the green light to the tax decree: with the OK to the rapporteur's mandate, the measure now passes to the House, where it will be debated tomorrow, Thursday 28 November.

The incident over the Rai licence fee

But this morning's incident on the cut in the RAI licence fee, with the League proposing to extend, even in 2025, the cut in the bill for the public broadcaster (from 90, envisaged by the manoeuvre, to 70 euro), marked the transition from a situation of tug-of-war between the Carroccio and Forza Italia, to a scenario of a real clash between the two political forces supporting Goveno Meloni.

Chigi: majority stumble on Rai licence fee benefits no one

The Azzurri's move did not please Fratelli d'Italia. "The government is strongly committed to supporting families and businesses, always operating within a framework of credibility and seriousness. The majority's stumble on the issue of cutting the RAI licence fee does no one any good'. This is what Palazzo Chigi sources have said.

Tajani: no stumbling block on RAI amendment, Fi always opposed

"There is no problem, as far as I am concerned, there is no stumbling block", as stated by Palazzo Chigi, on the Rai licence fee. This was said by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Med Dialogues. 'This,' he added, 'has nothing to do with the majority, we have always said so, but the majority is composite, it is not a commitment of the programme. You can have different ideas, but on the strategy of cutting taxes we are at the forefront, we have always been, we are Silvio Berlusconi's party: our rule is less taxes, less taxes, less taxes, so the 430 million' that would cost the cut in the 20 euro canon 'instead of making a roundabout game let's use them to really cut taxes, otherwise it would just become a slogan, instead we must really cut taxes and then use the money to help taxpayers'. 'We have always said it from the beginning,' he concluded, 'that we were against this amendment and we have been consistent with what we said. The problem is to be consistent always. We want to lower taxes, let us use the 430 million to really cut taxes'.

Ok to FdI amendment on payback, League does not take part in vote

The majority was also split during the go-ahead for the FdI amendment on the pharmaceutical payback, also signed by the PD, whose objective is a rebalancing between the regions. It passed with almost unanimity but the League, believing that it disadvantages Lombardy, did not participate in the vote.

Previous ones

The government thus has to deal with a new rift in the vote. It happened in the past on the ratification of the Mes amendments, just before Christmas 2023 (FI chose abstention, unlike the League and FdI who voted against). Or as on the third term of office of governors, another Lega flag, which twice this year, between February and March, saw the majority split. Just as it happened in the examination of the Security bill, when on the issue of mother prisoners it was again Tajani's party that dissociated.

Schlein: 'League against Forza Italia, government in disarray'

"Amendment by the League rejected by the votes of Forza Italia, which voted against like the opposition. The majority is shattered and the divisions are evident. They are in disarray, too busy fighting among themselves, competing instead of governing the country. And in the meantime they don't care about health and wages, the concrete problems of Italians." This is what PD secretary Elly Schlein said.

Patuanelli (M5s), majority goes under, it is the beginning of the end

"The government goes under in the budget committee on the Fiscal Decree. It is the beginning of the end for this majority. Another slap in the face for the League, after the dead and buried autonomy'. Thus Stefano Patuanelli, M5s group leader in the Senate.

Conte: Meloni clarify whether there is still a majority

"Divided in Europe, on foreign policy and today also in Parliament, with the majority not having the numbers in the Commission and going under: the unity professed by Meloni is another science fiction film shot in Chigi. The Prime Minister should clarify whether a majority still exists. Citizens have no time to lose: while they argue there is a country that suffers while waiting for a measure against the cost of living, a visit to the hospital, a train that does not pass'. Thus on X the leader of the M5s, Giuseppe Conte.