Lollobrigida said that the League also voted for the Budget Law which canceled the exemption. The Northern League’s response was not long in coming and is very harsh
On the issue of exemption from agricultural income tax, a very tough tug of war is underway between the Minister of Agricultural Policies Francesco Lollobrigida, Giorgia Meloni’s brother-in-law, and the League. Yesterday, according to what appears to Affaritaliani.it, there was a restricted meeting between Matteo Salvini and the experts in the Carroccio sector. The Northern League position is very clear: return to total exemption, as decided with the 2023 Budget Law (the first of the Meloni government) which costs 248 million euros. And for this reason the group leader in the Chamber of the League presented an amendment to the Milleproroghe Decree under consideration by the House.
The Melonian owner of Fratelli d’Italia dismissed the issue from Bruxelles saying that the budget for 2024 was approved by all the majority parties both in the CDM and in Parliament, without exemptions. But from the League, angrily, they reply that there was an agreement not to present onerous amendments and they respected it to avoid problems with Bruxelles and with the reform of Stability pact which had not yet been completed. In fact – Northern League sources continue to explain – the amendment to support the agricultural sector, “on which we have been working since November and not today was presented in the first available provision”, precisely the Milleproroghe Decree being examined by Montecitorio.
Lollobrigida replied that as a department it has no money, but the LegaBehind the scenes, he replied sternly that he had found the money to restructure and reorganize the ministry. Salvini does not intend to give in and has told his men to carry on with the battle. During question time in the Senate, the Minister of Economy Giancarlo Giorgetti he stated that work is being done on an exemption “with the possible introduction of deductibles”. Possible, this word should be underlined. Meloni and Lollobrigida’s proposal will be very modest, a very low Irpef exemption allowance – 10 thousand euros – which costs 152 million euros. But the League is not on board and has already explained confidentially to the head of Agriculture and to the exponents of Fratelli d’Italia that this is an “unacceptable” solution.
“Just as they found money for the automotive and other sectors, they will also find it for farmers”, they always explain from the Northern League. The compromise solution and the bottom line could be a deductible up to 20 thousand euros as an Irpef exemption for 2024 which it would cover approximately 80% of the audience of farmers and breeders and which costs the State 190 million euros. The problem is whether these funds will come from the Mef or from Agricultural Policies or from both ministries.
The nervousness of the League is linked to the attitude of Lollobrigida who speaks of a measure voted with the agreement of all, the Budget Law, but only because there was an agreement not to present amendments that would be costly for the State. Agreement that the League respected but now we need to intervene. Molinari immediately presented the amendment for total exemption while Lollobrigida, rejecting it, tries to establish a downward solution with Palazzo Chigi and therefore Meloni which would be of little use for the protesting tractors.
Sources at the highest levels of the Lega they assure that “the battle goes on and we don’t give up an inch”. The request remains total exemption from agricultural Irpef and, at most, a compromise with a deductible of 20 thousand euros and not 10 thousand as proposed by Fratelli d’Italia.