The very difficult match on the reform of the Stability Pact is over, the tug of war over the Mes – at the center of the latest controversies between the executive and the opposition – becomes very topical again. There Budget commissionconvened this morning with the opinion on the ratification of the ESM on the agenda, approved the contrary opinion proposed by the FdI rapporteur on the ratification of the ESM. The definitive picture is the following: FdI and Lega voted in favor of the opinion and therefore against the ratification of the ESM while Forza Italia, as expected, abstained. The same pattern repeated itself in Classroom. The Chamber of Deputies has in fact rejected the authorization to ratify the ESM. Only Pd, Azione, IV and +Europa voted in favour; We Moderates and Forza Italia abstain. The 5 Star Movement, Lega and Fratelli d’Italia are against it. The no’s were 18472 yes and 44 abstentions.
The contrary opinion of the majority
“The bill – we read in the contrary opinion of the majority presented to the Budget Committee in the Chamber on the ratification of the ESM – lacks suitable mechanisms to guarantee the involvement of Parliament in the procedure for the request for activation of the European Stability Mechanism, with this excluding the Chambers from procedures of significant importance in terms of economic and financial policy choices and that this exclusion could jeopardize the possibility for Parliament to monitor further payments of the subscribed capital, expresses a contrary opinion”.
This is what is written in the opinion presented by majority in the Budget Committee at Montecitorio, on the bill for ratification and execution of the Agreement amending the Treaty establishing the European Stability Mechanism, made in Brussels on 27 January and 8 February 2021. This is therefore the motivation on the basis of which the Budget Commission prepared an opinion “contrary” to the ESM for the Chamber. The majority, finally, with the president of the Budget Commission Giuseppe Mangialavori of FI, asked for a postponement of about 40 minutes of the start of the session of the Chamber of the Chamber in order to be able to finish the work of the Budget commission, engaged in the opinion on the ratification of the ESM modifications, on the third point of today’s agenda of the ‘Assembly.
Oppositions arise
“Here I represent the government” which “will be consistent with the will of Parliament”. The first to expose himself is the Undersecretary for the Economy Federico Freni, on the sidelines of the Bureau of the Budget Commission, regarding the ratification of the ESM. “On the Northern League front – he added when questioned on the merits – the positions have never changed. The League is proud of its coherence so I don’t expect anything new”. The leader of Italia Viva, Matteo Renzi, responds promptly and sends a message to Meloni. “If I were them, I would approve the ESM this morning – explains Renzi – I would approve it quickly because at least they get rid of the controversy before people have read what is written because, in the details, there will be something they may not like, before the League should notice. My advice to Meloni: vote for him now, in the end she will vote for him because she has changed her mind about everything.”
The comment on Forza Italia is equally harsh: “It will be a campaign for the Europeans who will be very fascinated – says the number one of Italia Viva to SkyTg24 – from l’europe Tajani that he abstains on the ESM is a continental joke and, when he goes to the next EPP meeting, they will welcome him with an embrace of emotional solidarity. If they vote against it means that they are in the electoral campaign and that the Salvini line wins.” A comment to be read in conjunction with the declarations of the number one of Action: “On the ESM – he said Carlo Calenda -and on the split the majority continue to make such a fool of themselves. But then again we have the great anomaly of a parliament where, sooner or later, Lega, 5S and Fratelli d’Italia have asked to leave the Euro. The show we see on the MES is a consequence of their history”. The speech in the Chamber was very harsh Giuseppe Conte who in the last few groups has engaged in a personal battle with the prime minister on the merits. “There is always a moment of truth in which the propaganda goes away and the reality of the positions and facts remains – said the five-star leader – Giorgia Meloni lied to Parliament, only today do you decide on the European Stability Mechanism and take on the your responsibilities: we rejected it when everyone wanted it.” The five-star number one thus announces the contrary vote of his Movement: “The European Stability Mechanism will remain an intergovernmental agreement and not a community one. We are consistent, we vote no because of your inability, your incompetence, your inexperience. Unfortunately, we denounce this anti-patriotic pantomime of yours.”
“The majority has split”, “it is no longer there”. This is instead the immediate comment of the IV group in the Budget commission, Luigi Marattin, and the dem Piero De Luca, group leader in the EU affairs commission, at the end of the Budget vote on the opinion against the ratification of the ESM modification. Avs MP Marco Grimaldi adds: “Majority shattered, like Meloni’s credibility.” “The vote on the ESM – explains the Pd group leader Chiara Braga – made clear the splits in the majority on an issue that is relevant for Italy and the EU. They make our country look bad.”
The government’s response
The answer was dry Forza Italia which, by the voice of the blue group leader Roberto Pella, goes on the counterattack. “We reiterate the decisive role of our deputy prime minister Antonio Tajani in a significant negotiation with the European Union thanks to which Italy has important international credibility. “For this reason – explains Pella – we want to expressabstention on the proposed opinion against the ESM, because the ESM will be an opportunity and not an obligation and because we must continue with collaboration and continuous and constructive discussion with the European institutions”. To those who ask him if the majority is split, the answer from the Forza Italia exponent is clear: “Absolutely not, we have a different position consistent with what our party has carried out to date”.
The comment of the leader of the League is of the same tone. Matteo Salvinispeaking on the merits, explained that “the League has never changed its mind about the ESM in twenty years, it is a useless if not harmful tool that would lead an Italian worker to have to put in money to save a German bank”. I don’t think it is useful and since Parliament is sovereign – he added – Parliament votes on the basis of Italian national interest: the Germans look after the German interests, we look after the Italians’. The League’s position has always been and continues to be clear”.
2023-12-21 09:42:00
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