Milan, April 8, 2022 – The need for budget variance, the unity, even in the future, of the 5 Star Movement, the Ukrainian crisis. And especially “we have never thought of a crisis of the Draghi government”: The former prime minister and M5S leader Giuseppe Conte addresses the central points of the political-economic debate in a long interview with Milano Finanza, which will be published in the issue on newsstands tomorrow. Conte asks the government in charge to do more to support the economy: rather than increase military spending, “we need to focus on real needs: expensive bills, health care and transition to renewables”.
For the pentastellato leader, the first urgency is that of the crisis involving Italian businesses and families. “Five billion is insufficient in the face of the current economic and social emergency – he explains referring to the Document of Economy and Finance (Def) approved on April 6 by the Council of Ministers – we need to support businesses and families that are losing purchasing power… more courage is needed: we believe a budgetary variance is necessary and we are convinced that it can raise the bar of taxation on extra-profits in the energy sector from the current 10 to even 25%, to allocate more resources to citizens and companies “.
Confindustria has asked for concrete and substantial help from the business world. “I consider it fundamental – says Conte – the confirmation and further development of tools already tested by my Government, such as the Guarantee Fund for SMEs and the moratoriums on loans to businesses, which must be reactivated. Among our proposals to inject liquidity into the economic system is the “Super business energy bonus“, Which extends the transferability of tax credits to incentives for investments by companies in energy saving and renewables”.
Energy has become a hot topic in light of the war in Ukraine, the sanctions on Putin’s Russia and the Italian and European dependence on Moscow gas. The former premier underlines that “we have proposed an Energy fund to respond to the energy crisis. Faced with the hypothesis of a strengthening of Europe’s sanctioning response to the Russian aggression in Ukraine, an acceleration and a decisive leap forward towards an energy recovery becomes essential: common storage and purchases are needed at EU level, as well as massive interventions on renewables. Central to us is also the need to impose a ceiling on the price of gas. The European response will be stronger if it supports the EU countries most exposed in terms of dependence on Russian gas ”.
Meanwhile, the Draghi government seems to be sailing in troubled waters, starting with the land registry reform. On the theme “we are in favor of the rationalization and modernization of the land registry, but we reject any hypothesis of new property taxes”Conte specifies who also expresses his opinion on the tax Cashback and the use of savings by Italians. “Let’s start with health care expenses: instead of keeping receipts and receipts for the long times of the tax return, it will be enough to pay electronically to have the deductions immediately credited to the account. We are facing a new turning point, I hope it will proceed quickly “. And what about the use of savings? “We have in mind a social bond plan to invest resources in the most fragile parts of our productive economic fabric. It is an important tool that considers the social and environmental impacts of investments, as well as the economic return “.
Of some choices made by its executive, now we can count the relapses. But Conte claims: “After the tragedy of the Morandi Bridge, we could not but oust the Benettons from management. L’entry of Cdp into Autostrade represents the best compromise to limit the disbursement of public money as much as possible and guarantee efficient infrastructures and citizens’ safety. Also on Borsa Italiana we favored the recovery of a strong public presence in the Euronext capital. An operation in line with the consolidation of Cdp in the digital payments giant Sia-Nexi “.
E what health the M5S enjoys? Coexistence with the current headed by Minister Di Maio does not seem to favor a serene horizon. But on this Conte he shows his muscles: “I will not allow M5S to become a political force divided into currents fighting for personal gain “.