The budget bill put to the test by the amendments, new majority summit

The assault on the budget bill to amend the maneuver is about to begin and the majority is preparing to find common ground. Tuesday is the deadline for parliamentary amendments and the leaders will meet again with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti to set the course: the date for the new summit has not yet been set, it should be convened between Monday and Tuesday, although — given the leaders' commitments — the second day of the week appears more likely. Health, pensions, schools and universities are the topics at the top of the list of adjustments, but work is already underway on tweaks to the Superbonus-spreading rule, which has been strongly criticized, and on the exit tax. Nearly a week after the meeting that opened the way to "targeted corrections" on some priorities, the allies must find agreement on the changes, balancing the sensibilities of the individual parties with the need to guarantee the balance of the accounts. Meanwhile, the parties are finalizing the proposals to be submitted by Tuesday at 6 pm to the Budget Committee of the Chamber of Deputies. The Mef has already warned: yes to changes, but every proposal must have the necessary coverage. As per tradition, thousands of amendments are expected anyway (last year there were 5,700, the year before 4,500), also because the parties are expected to give voice to the many suggestions gathered from associations and professional categories. The first hurdle will come with the admissibility review and subsequently with the flagged ones. The government has meanwhile already opened up to modifying some particularly contested provisions. On the cut of nearly 7,000 teachers and ATA staff in schools, the executive has announced a U-turn, but it is not yet clear whether the clause will be removed or merely postponed to 2029. For health, additional resources in the order of 500 million are being sought. Still far too few, however, warn the Regions, who are pushing for the 1.6 million currently allocated to the elderly card to be earmarked for the Health Fund. The protest over cuts to pension indexation also remains heated: Spi Cgil will be in squares across Italy starting tomorrow in preparation for the general strike on November 20. The government, according to what the unions reported, would have opened to giving some response during the parliamentary process. But pushing for a loosening of the squeeze are also some majority parties. The allies, however, are divided on the allocation of the 850 million Fund for exit flexibility: the League is pushing to tie it to pensions at 64, FdI would prefer to use it to help workers in strenuous jobs. Dedicated pension provisions for law enforcement should also find space in the conversion, under pressure from FI and the League. Meanwhile, the issue — so far raised by no one — of the one-month increase in the retirement age taking effect from 2027 could come up later, with the amendments from the bill's rapporteurs and the government. Still to be resolved is the issue of the rule that spreads the remaining 20 billion of Superbonus credits over 10 years. Banks and businesses have already voiced their displeasure and the executive has opened up to tweaks. Among the hypotheses is the exclusion of small businesses, but also a spread over fewer years. Work is also underway to modify the exit tax, the tax on capital gains of those who move their tax residence abroad. The idea is to raise the threshold, currently set at 800,000 euros: reaching 4-5 million is being considered. The oppositions, meanwhile, in order not to disperse their forces have decided to present a united front and are preparing a package of joint proposals: the focus would be on health, minimum wage, leave and pensions. It is not out of the question that some proposals will also come on schools, on which the Pd today organized the Estates General. For us it is "the first place of people's emancipation," stressed the Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein. The priorities, she indicated, are "paying teachers better" and "combating job insecurity." Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA