It matters little now who won or lost on Friday on the CGIL stage in Rimini. If Giorgia Meloni, an authentic stage performer much less a press conference, or Maurizio Landini, the secretary of the CGIL who risked his neck by inviting the leader and Prime Minister of the Italian right to the stage of the most important union of the left. The prime minister was undoubtedly good, prepared, she struck the right chords, she spoke of extremism and political violence, indicating “the right-wing extremism responsible for the attack on the CGIL headquarters”. For some, it was “her best speech since she has been prime minister”. Secretary Landini, who incidentally will be re-elected today for a second term, was courageous because, while aware that tomorrow he could be indicated as responsible for the customs clearance of the prime minister of the right, he considered it more important to demonstrate that the CGIL is a serious organization. without prejudice, who knows how to listen. Reliable. All in all, in fact, there is also a third winner: the assembly of a thousand delegates who – apart from the thirty from Landini’s internal opposition who stood up with clenched fists singing “Bella ciao” and left stuffed animals on the tables memory of the children left to die in front of the beach of Cutro – he knew how to listen, evaluate, and judge in silence but not freezing, with civility. Here, yes, it can be said that overall a good page of politics was written yesterday. But that essentially Meloni as a guest of the CGIL could ultimately be a boomerang if it is true – we will know today – that the general strike of CGIL, CISL and UIL will be announced against the tax reform approved on Thursday by the Council of Ministers and which was at the center of the premier’s speech.
From the main entrance
Giorgia Meloni has chosen to enter the CGIL congress from the main entrance, in spite of the protocol, to show even plastically that she is not afraid of “boos” or protests. Which will eventually be contained, Bella ciao, the soft toys and the “Sentiti ungradita” fax shirt similar to that of Ferragni in Sanremo (“feel free”). “I didn’t know Ferragni was a metalworker” was the dry comment of the premier who had just taken the stage. You spoke for about half an hour in front of an audience that listened in composed silence to the speech with which the prime minister claimed the action of her government. And she offered the promise of “unprejudiced listening.” Just what according to the union so far there hasn’t been. No steps back and no concessions. Not on the basic income, struck down, nor on the minimum wage, “ineffective”. And even less on that tax reform that has just been approved and rejected “too hastily by some”. Starting right from her guests.
Once on stage, he waited, with an attentive and in his own eloquent way, for the conclusion of the mini-protest. “I enjoyed – was the incipit – in reading some reconstructions for which I would have been afraid to come here. I’ve been booed for thirty years, I’m a knight of merit…”. Rather, the prime minister is there “to celebrate that unity of Italy” that a few hours earlier she had paid homage with President Mattarella in front of the Altare della Patria. Certainly Meloni was careful to polish the language, he excluded an indemnity lexicon (which would have been provocative) and, in the wake of what Landini had asked for in presenting it, he greatly appreciated the appeal to “ask to listen but also to listen ”.
Stop the minimum wage and income
The premier stops the minimum wage – on which the oppositions are coordinating – because it could become a “substitutive protection” of national contracts which are often already higher (in fact Landini is cold on the minimum wage) and which must be strengthened. An argument that finds sensitive ears in the audience. Landini has opened to setting a minimum threshold within the framework of a law on representation. Citizenship income “failed” because it put “in the same cauldron” who can work and who cannot. But work, he underlined, “is not created by decree” and it was therefore “dutiful” to cancel the income for those who can work. “What have the poor done to us? Nothing” – assured the premier – “we want to get them out of that condition and the only way is to give him a job.” A large part of the intervention is dedicated to the tax reform, fresh from its approval and of which he has not yet spoken. The prime minister assured that it is a reform that will give “many advantages to employees of the flat tax on incremental incomes (such as for the self-employed) to the full deductibility of some expenses such as education and transport up to the cut of Irpef through the reduction to three rates.
In praise of the reform that does not exist
The audience listens, in silence, with respect. But he would have a lot to object to what the premier claimed. It is a pity that a question and answer session cannot be opened on these occasions. It would clarify many pre-cooked slogans. Like saying: “Historical day, the tax reform approved, Italy has been waiting for 50 years”. First of all, there is no tax reform. It does not exist. there is no number. It will take two years to be able to read the delegated decrees (which incidentally will no longer pass through Parliament) to fully understand what is inside this “tax reform” which, in fact, does not exist. clear, reading the twenty articles of the delegation it is impossible to answer some key questions: by how much will the tax burden go down? How will the loss of revenue be financed? How progressive is taxation? How many personal income tax rates? Meloni says three. But we don’t know which ones And the detail in this case makes a lot of difference.
On the other hand, some clamorous novelties leap to the eye. For example, the “two-year arrangement with creditors” on the basis of which private individuals and the State first agree on what the tax base will be for the next two years. Base which obviously cannot be touched. It has every appearance of being a nice advantage for those who want to escape. Meloni said that “a friendly taxman, the keyword compliance, is the only chance we have to fight tax evasion”. tax expenditures whose value amounts between 60 and 80 billion. This is also an old mantra that no one has been able to do. Because no category wants to give up its privileges. Another detail: the promised and necessary reform of the land register is completely missing. As you wanted to prove. In the end, if we think about it, the Draghi government fell for taxi drivers, land registry and seaside resorts.
The white flowers
Once off the stage, Meloni remained in conversation with Landini for half an hour. The two have known each other for some time and have tackled, far from notebooks and cameras, “all current issues at 360 degrees”. One almost thinks that Landini too is studying to be a leader. Of the left, of course. Distances remain but the intention to “discuss” is there. Giorgia Meloni was the first here in every sense: the first female premier and the first of a right-wing government. The last intervention dates back to 1996, in Palazzo Chigi there was Romano Prodi and it was the time of the olive tree and the landlord was Cofferati. Before Prodi, Bettino Craxi in 1986 and Giovanni Spadolini in 1981. In 2010 Gianni Letta spoke on behalf of the Berlusconi government. When the prime minister leaves the Rimini Fair, she is holding a bunch of white flowers in her arms. Given as a gift, specify by the CGIL, by two members of parliament from the Brothers of Italy. Because respect does. The flowers would have been too much.