Labour squeeze skips, manoeuvre towards yes amidst controversy

'The path is winding but the important thing is to get to the top'. Leaving Palazzo Madama after attending part of the debate, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti nevertheless said he was 'satisfied'.

'One of the criticisms levelled at this government is that we would have loosened up, become looser in the control and tax assessment phase: no'. So said Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti in his reply in the Senate chamber on the manoeuvre. 'We had courage, we went and made millionaire, billionaire assessments to the web giants'.

"We focused all our efforts on employees first up to EUR 30,000, then EUR 40,000, then EUR 50,000, because they were the ones who were somehow harassed. Those employees, especially those with families and dependent children, are the ones who have rightly received the most attention from this government and in fact have punctually recovered what is called fiscal drag'. This was said by Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti in his reply at the end of the general debate in the Senate on the manoeuvre. "The 5% flat tax on contractual increases for the poorest employees, what do you call it? The symbolic 1% taxation on productivity wages, what do you call it? I believe it is economic and fiscal policy of vision,' he added.

On healthcare there is 'an allocation, an increase in resources, of six billion never seen in recent times'.

This was said by Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti in his reply at the end of the general debate in the Senate on the manoeuvre. "We have also begun to take on costs that are not really ours," such as the healthcare payback: "I did not invent it, but we have somehow begun to take it on.

"I wanted to thank you Minister Giorgetti. I know you also went to the committee, that is not usual. I congratulate you''. This was said by Senate President Ignazio La Russa addressing Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti in the chamber before his reply on the Manovra.

"Parliaments were born to approve budgets and parliamentary democracies, some major European democracies are not able to approve budgets and even the approval process in the Italian parliament - I can tell you this from someone who has seen so many - has gradually lost its centrality, the dimension that should be its own, with a single-chamber system that we have seen for several years: this should make us all question how parliamentary democracies should update to keep up with the times and maintain the prerogatives for which they were born. This was said by Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti speaking in the Senate chamber in reply to the general debate on the manoeuvre.

It is not austerity but 'prudence' because of the size of the public debt. So said Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti in the Senate chamber on the manoeuvre.

"There are no more words to describe this manoeuvre. After increasing the retirement age for 96 per cent of workers, they are now attacking the judiciary, which demands respect for Article 36 of the Constitution. That is, that the wages of those who work must be fair and dignified. The Pogliese amendment - which we had already succeeded in blocking six months ago - is inserted in the budget law without any possibility of discussion'. This was stated by PD secretary Elly Schlein. 'This is a real coup,' she continues, 'employers who have not paid workers a fair wage will not be obliged to pay arrears as many court rulings have determined. This is very serious and shows once again that the government not only does nothing against poor labour, but even takes measures to ensure that it remains poor. We call for its cancellation also because it is an ordinal rule that has nothing to do with the state budget. In the face of such pettiness, it becomes more and more urgent to quickly reopen a discussion on a statutory minimum wage."

From the manoeuvre 100,000 euro in 2026 for the creation of a Fund for the promotion of dialogue. The aim is to 'foster intercultural dialogue between students and university lecturers, also in relation to different cultural, political and religious viewpoints, promoting a culture of confrontation, respect and mutual tolerance, as well as to counter forms of opposition, intolerance and expressions of hatred, including those that can be qualified as anti-Semitism'. This is an amendment that incorporates a proposal by Dem Senator Graziano Delrio, who proposed, however, to endow it with 250,000 euro for each year until 2028.

'This economic manoeuvre has been consumed on the skin of doctors, both employed and contracted, and health managers. It is clear to everyone now that not only is the Ministry of Health 'hostage' of the Mef, but what is even more serious, that the entire government is. And the consequences of this tug-of-war are extremely offensive to all those who work daily to ensure the health of citizens." It is a rejection without appeal that comes fromAnaao Assomed, Cimo-Fesmed, Fimmg, Fimp and Sumai representing employed and contracted doctors and health executives. "Let us prepare for a year of barricades to defend the professionals, the only ones holding up the SSN". "In recent days we have witnessed a disgraceful little theatre, an internal struggle that has overturned a situation that until then had finally been favourable for the category," commented Pierino Di Silverio, National Secretary Anaao Assomed, Guido Quici, President Federation Cimo-Fesmed, Silvestro Scotti, General Secretary Fimmg, Antonio D'Avino National President Fimp and Antonio Magi National Secretary Sumai. "The night blitz on Christmas Eve sank the amendment that would have made available the extra-contractual resources already allocated for medical management" "Once again," add the unions, "completely forgotten about the 20,000 public outpatient specialists of the territory, which are fundamental and central for the taking care of chronic patients, for the reduction of waiting lists and home care, as provided for by the NRP and the Dm77. Nothing even on the General Medicine and Free Choice Paediatrics front. A disaster'.

Further reading

From the doctors' criminal shield to the staff engagement rules to the nurses' exclusivity: the Milleproroghe in watermark

22 December 2025

Recruitment with fixed-term contracts of 240 officials and 77 assistants from April to ensure the activation of 24 additional sections for the recognition of international protection and, therefore, to guarantee the provisions of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, adopted by the European Union on 14 May 2024. This is provided for in one of the amendments approved in the Senate Budget Committee and contained in the final text of the manoeuvre. The measure 'is an exception to the planned spending limits and has an expenditure threshold of EUR 14.61 million for 2026', reads the dossier of the parliamentary study service.

"The budget law 2025? Cuts, fury against workers and pensioners and the South, privatisation of public services. It is unacceptable that resources have been taken away from the regions, using the Fund for Development and Cohesion as an ATM, while resources for infrastructures vital to the country are reduced. In addition, on the essential levels of services, the LEP, the government puts its hands on health, education, transport and social assistance, clearly demonstrating its intention to cut personal services in order to make savings on the state budget. It is clear that the right wing thinks that eliminating essential public services is the way to reduce public spending, but always leaves the taps open for tax evaders, without respecting rules and regulations. This budget law confirms another vision of the country, a vision that continues to favour the privatisation of services, jeopardising the quality of citizens' fundamental rights and social cohesion. It is a model that we, as the Democratic Party, will continue to strongly oppose, because we cannot accept that the weakest pay the price for this government's wrong choices'. These are the words of the chairman of the Pd senators Francesco Boccia interviewed by Telenorba.

Entrepreneurs who, on the basis of court rulings, do not adequately pay their workers will not be required to pay the difference if they have nevertheless complied with the standards of certain collective agreements. This is provided for in an amendment to the manoeuvre approved in the Senate committee and contained in the text being examined by the House. These are cases in which, according to the judges, the economic treatment does not conform 'to the principles' of Article 36 of the Constitution on proportionate remuneration. The dossier of the Parliament's Study Service therefore asks that 'consideration be given to clarifying, in relation to the aforementioned jurisprudential orientation, the legal scope of such references'.

Higher ceiling, at 200,000 euro, of the house value for the Isee exclusion for houses located in the capital municipalities of metropolitan areas. This is the provision of an amendment to the manoeuvre approved in the Senate Budget Committee. The budget law already raised the limit on the value of the home excluded from the calculation from 52,500 euro to 91,500 euro, increasing it by 2,500 euro for each cohabiting child after the first. At the time of conversion, a further raising of the ceiling to 200,000 euro was added for households residing in metropolitan cities (Rome Capital, Turin, Milan, Venice, Genoa, Bologna, Florence, Bari, Naples, Reggio Calabria, Cagliari, Catania, Messina, Palermo, Sassari).

The maxi amendment of the incoming manoeuvre contains only one article with about 970 paragraphs. Confidence will come in the evening, then control in the Commission and tomorrow, around 12 noon, approval.

"I am satisfied. It's like reaching the top, the path is winding but the important thing is to get to the top, there is no other way'. So said Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, intercepted as he left the Senate where the debate on the manoeuvre is underway. In the afternoon, it is not excluded that the minister will speak in the House during the replies.

'In the rush to find solutions, it happens that the effects of some measures can be underestimated'. Thus the leader of the League in the Senate, Massimiliano Romeo, speaking to journalists in the Senate in response to a question on the chaos in the committee on the manoeuvre. "It is convenient to find the scapegoat in the League, but this is not the issue. When we tried to sort things out, it seems to me that there was absolute unity of intent on the part of the entire Lega leadership group' and 'on the issue of pensions, the Lega could only get stuck in. The important thing is to have found the solution,' Romeo said, 'now FdI says it's all about the clash between the leghists. Well, it seems to me that even on the amnesty and condominiums someone has gone backwards....

Let's say that when one is working and discussing things, it fits. When you work, you can underestimate some measures. Then you correct and arrive at the result.

The Senate Chamber rejected with 101 votes against the preliminary ruling on the constitutionality of the manoeuvre advanced by the oppositions. "You inserted a series of provisions that affect the Lep, the core of civil and social rights," explained Peppe De Cristofaro (Avs). A circumstance that 'violates the Constitution in merit and method', said Beatrice Lorenzin (PD). Barbara Floridia spoke for the M5s.

Underway in the Senate is the examination of the preliminary question submitted by the oppositions to the manoeuvre. If, as expected, it is rejected, the general debate on the budget law will begin. There are 53 senators (15 from the majority) registered to speak in the general debate. The senators will have a maximum of 10 minutes each, for a total of almost 9 hours.

È approdata nell’Aula del Senato, presieduta da Ignazio La Russa, la legge di bilancio. Presente il ministro dell’Economia Giancarlo Giorgetti. Tra i relatori è intervenuto il leghista Claudio Borghi che si è detto «soddisfatto del lavoro fatto» in quanto «sono state recepite molte istanze, anche di opposizione». Per Guido Quintino Liris (FdI) «il Parlamento è stato protagonista di alcuni passaggi centrali».