A tear in Senate between the benches of the majorityturns into a question and answer between Giuseppe Conte e Mario Draghi. Object of the dispute: the increase of military spending to 2% of GDP. “I brought to Draghi the concern of the M5s and of all Italians. I asked the premier to work for more Italian health resources. We discussed the expensive bills, which have even tripled, and the rise in the price of groceries. Priority issues with respect to the increase in military spending to 2% of GDP ”, says Conte after meeting the head of government at Palazzo Chigi. Not even an hour passes and for the first time the prime minister reacts. Peremptory tones filter through the presidency of the council, clearly directed against the head of the 5 stars. “The Government – they say – intends to respect and firmly reaffirm the commitments Then on the increase in military spending to 2% of GDP. The commitments undertaken at such a delicate moment on the doorstep of Europe cannot be called into question. If this happens, the pact that keeps the majority standing“. Never had Draghi reacted like this to the legitimate demands of a majority force. Not even when the government was pressing Matteo Salvini, contrary to the anti Covid restrictions: in that case the leader of the League had been given some ironic response at a press conference. This time, however, the head of the government uses harsh tones against Conte and comes to question the future of the majority. And this despite the fact that shortly before the head of the 5 stars had totally ruled out the hypothesis of a crisis. But not only: Palazzo Chigi, in fact, also makes it known that after the meeting with Conte the premier “went to the Head of State for an update on the theme of military investments”. A question and answer in which the Democratic Party is inserted: from the Nazarene they make it known that Enrico Letta he follows “these moments with concern”. But let’s go in order.
The vote in the commission – The clash broke out in the afternoon, when during the joint session of Foreign and Defense commissionsthe government decided to uphold the agenda of Brothers of Italy on the 2% increase in military spending. But without going through the vote. The measure will be in the Chamber next Thursday and most likely the trust will be requested. The decision opens up a problem among the parties that support the executive: shortly before, in fact, Conte at a press conference he had announced the vote in favor of the measure, but at the same time he had reiterated his no to the agenda of Brothers of Italy for the increase in military spending. Now the 5 stars will be forced to approve or reject both. This is what Conte and Draghi talked about, during the meeting at Palazzo Chigi in the afternoon. “I brought to Draghi the concern of the M5s and of all Italians. I asked the premier to work for more Italian health resources. We discussed the expensive bills, which have even tripled, and the rise in the price of groceries. Priority issues with respect to the increase in military spending to 2% of GDP ”, explained the former prime minister at the end of the face-to-face. “We are left that we will update,” he added.
The Count-Draghi clash – On arms, Conte repeated what had been anticipated in recent days: “I do not question the agreement with NATO and I do not want Draghi to question it, also because they were taken in 2014. But hurrying to respect the 2% threshold would mean produce a peak in military spending at a time of great difficulty ”. Then he reassured the majority: “Opening a government crisis is not a theme. We support the government and we have the right to be heard ”. On the Brothers of Italy agenda, Conte said he had “learned that the M5S senators had asked to vote in committee in the Senate the agenda that evoked the commitment to increase military spending to 2%, because they were ready to reject it, but it was decided not to put it to the vote. Now the works have been updated. We discussed this with Draghi. We have different ratings“. To those who ask him if the M5S is preparing to present an agenda with the opposite sign, “now we will talk to the senators – he replies – Our priorities are clear, we will do all the consequent acts”. According to the head of the 5 stars “nel Def reasonably there won’t be something like that written there, but this does not mean that it is a prospect that we must face. The problem can be postponed but we must face it from a political point of view ”. Palazzo Chigi, however, evidently thinks otherwise. From Palazzo Chigi, in fact, they link the debate on weapons to the “pact that keeps the majority standing”. What has been done by previous governments, led by Conte, is also underlined: “The plans agreed in 2014, and followed by the various governments that have succeeded each other, provide for a continuous progressive increase in investments by 2024. The defense budget in 2018 was substantially the same as 2008. In 2018 there were about 21 billion, in 2021 24.6 billion (an increase of 17 percent): these are the figures of the Ministry of Defense in the Conte governments. Between 2021 and 2022, the defense budget rises to 26 billion: an increase of 5.6 per cent “.
Tensions in the Senate – The M5s senators who participated in the joint session criticized the government’s decision: “It is unacceptable that the government has decided to accept the agenda of FdI despite the strong opposition of the main majority force ”, reads a note. “An agenda that begins with ‘The Senate commits the government’ cannot be accepted without a verification vote.” And again: “Despite our insistent request, the president of the Defense commission Roberta Pinotti he did not want to put it to a vote ”. In fact, Pinotti presided over the proceedings today because he was the senator Vito Petrocelli, head of Foreign Affairs and contrary to the provision, was not present. Then the note concludes: “We will therefore insist on the request to put this agenda to the vote”. The 5-star stance is creating numerous discontent in the majority, especially after yesterday the 5 stars rejected the hypothesis of presenting a majority agenda that could favor mediation. Today it was the dem senator who spoke Alessandro Alfieri: “We understand the parties’ need to mark some points”, he said after the session, “but this cannot be done by putting the government in difficulty. We yesterday in the majority meeting with D’Incà we proposed as Pd to present a majority odg just to say it was there the willingness to discuss the gradual increase in expenses defense and do them as part of the construction of the common European defense. The 5 stars said no and lost an opportunity but we are willing to reopen the discussion on a gradual path “in future measures. Meanwhile, some failure is also recorded on the 5-star front: “This is the speech,” Senator M5s told Adnkronos Antonella Campagna, who sits on the Defense Commission of Palazzo Madama. “It is out of the question, we know, that in 2014 a commitment was signed within NATO to bring defense spending to 2% of GDP. In any case, our country has made this commitment. A reconfirmed commitment – this is in the records – in 2019. The increase in expenses must now also be taken into consideration with a view to the creation of the common European army ”.
Where does the tear and the vote in the House come from? – In recent days the Ukraine decree had gotten the go-ahead of Montecitorio. On that occasion, the League’s agenda on the increase in military spending was also approved (photocopy of the Fdi agenda now accepted by the government) and even the 5 stars had voted in favor. Soon after he leading M5s Tale had announced that his parents would not never again voted in favor of increasing military spending. A line that he reiterated today at a press conference, while saying he “does not want to put anyone in trouble” and above all does not want to discuss previous NATO agreements. According to the M5s leader it is necessary though evaluate times and commitments in light of the new emergencies that Italy is experiencing and it is necessary to understand where the funds will be taken.