The Chamber of Deputies rejected the resolution proposed by the majority authorizing the budget deviation of 3.4 billion in 2023 and 4.5 billion in 2024. There were 195 votes with 19 no and 105 abstentions. In fact, an absolute majority of 201 votes is required for approval. The figure was greeted by the applause of the opposition. Immediately after the Chamber rejected the resolution, a Council of Ministers was convened with the 2023 Economic and Financial Document on the agenda. The flash meeting, on the proposal of Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, approved a new report to the Parliament. According to what has been learned, the public finance balances already reported in the 2023 Economic and Financial Document remain confirmed, while the new report underlines the aims of supporting work and families object of the interventions planned for the Council of Ministers already set for the May 1st.
Meloni: «The Def will be approved by Parliament in the next few days»
The Def will be approved by Parliament in the next few days: the government will keep its commitment. Thus the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke on the vote in the Chamber in an informal conversation with journalists in his hotel in London. For Meloni it was a matter of «a bad slip, a bad impression: I believe that everyone should be called to accountability. We are not saving ourselves and no one should be saving. But frankly I don’t think it was a political signal, paradoxically indeed it happened due to an excess of security. Now we need to make a further consideration on the parliamentarians on a mission – he added – but I don’t see a political problem in it. The Def will be approved, we will keep our commitments », she added. «We face a situation that is not easy, we are doing our best. We are not saving ourselves and I believe that no one should be spared”. From a technical point of view, he then added: “I trust that the government’s initiatives should not be changed, a very defined timetable with significant measures that depend on the Def”, he added. Commenting on what happened in the Chamber, where there were no votes due to the absence of a part of the majority deputies, Giorgetti said: “There is no political problem, it’s that the deputies either don’t know or don’t realize it”.
The majority asks for a repeat vote
«The situation is confused and perhaps it will be necessary to make a new CDM with new balances, this is a technical aspect that they will evaluate at Palazzo Chigi. There will have to be a new Council of Ministers to evaluate how to move forward», said the Deputy Minister of Economy, Maurizio Leo, after the rejection of the report on the budget variance in the Chamber. “We also need to adjust the balances,” added Leo. Meanwhile, the majority has asked the Speaker of the Chamber, Lorenzo Fontana, to be able to repeat the vote that took place in the Chamber with the rejection of the budget variance due to lack of the necessary absolute majority. For this reason, the group leader was updated at 18.45. «With reference to the outcome of the vote on the resolution on the Economic and Financial Document held in the Chamber, it should be noted that the chairman Lorenzo Fontana updated the Group Chairmen’s Conference exclusively for the purpose of allowing the offices in charge to carry out the necessary technical insights », let Fontana’s staff know.
The criticisms of the opposition
The opposition goes on the attack. «A majority with these parliamentary numbers, on the most important political act, which fails miserably. A total lack of responsibility for the country’s problems, which adds up to the confusion and disorder of these days on the Pnrr», says the group leader of the Democratic Party in the Chamber, Chiara Braga. The 5 Star Movement asks Meloni to go up to Colle. «You are incapable: tell the recipients of basic income to go to work. But you come to work. President Meloni go immediately to the Quirinale to be guided. You are creating a financial instability that we cannot afford», attacks Francesco Silvestri of the M5S. Fratelli d’Italia minimizes: “It’s just a matter of coordinating the Chamber, there is no political significance,” says Federico Mollicone, of Fdi, intercepted on the transatlantic at Montecitorio. «Formally a slightly modified text will be re-presented», explains Mollicone.
The government is aiming for approval in the House by Saturday
The executive is working to obtain the green light from Parliament for the deviation by Saturday morning. But the unknowns are different, starting with the real compact presence of parliamentarians in the halls, many have already left Rome. Parliamentary procedures would also require new steps in committee, a framework that would take up more time. So much so that everything will be postponed to next week. The government’s goal is to close the game by Monday 1 May so as not to slip the CDM on the Labor decree scheduled for that date.