Aid billskips waiver of public salary cap

The House Budget Committee approved the government’s amendment to the Aiuti bis decree that deletes Article 41a introduced by the Senate. It thus skips the exemption and the salary cap of 240,000 euros a year returns for all managers in the armed forces and the Pa. The text, as amended, is expected for third reading in the Senate on Sept. 20.

After expressing its “displeasure” last night with the provision of the Auxiliary Decree Bis that introduces an exception to the 240,000-euro salary cap for managers in public administrations, the government presented the suppressive amendment, aimed at eliminating the “ancillary economic treatment” that, according to the new rule, was possible for top figures in law enforcement, the armed forces and public administrations. The decree will land in the House chamber tomorrow.

An amendment to eliminate the rule had also been presented by the Democratic Party: it was announced by House group leader Debora Serracchiani, adding, “We approve the government’s decision to intervene immediately.” And, as announced by the chairwoman of Italia Viva deputies, Maria Elena Boschi, the party headed by Matteo Renzi had also called for a complete restoration of the maximum of 240,000 euros gross per year for public salaries, introduced in 2014 by the Renzi government itself. “With our amendment we bring Parliament back in connection with reality and alongside the citizens who are going through a deep economic crisis,” he said.

Finally, the M5S group leader in Montecitorio, Francesco Silvestri had asked the government to “stop this umpteenth folly” and announced the filing of an amendment also by the Pentastellati: “It really seems like observing the world in reverse: while families and businesses suffer under the weight of inflation and high energy prices, they take away every limit to give super salaries to state managers.” The president of the Movement, Giuseppe Conte, had criticized via Twitter the leader of the PD Enrico Letta, guilty in his view of having voted in favor of the ‘incriminated’ norm: “Enrico, un buon tacer non fu mai scritto,” he replied to the tweet with which Letta had applauded the government’s choice to call for the suppression of the norm.

Criticism of the rule had also been expressed by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. The Head of State, according to reports in majority parliamentary circles, in a conversation with Mario Draghi reportedly expressed perplexity over an inappropriate norm, given also the difficult time Italians are going through due to increases linked to the energy crisis.