The Italian PM goes on the defensive over criticism of the budget allocated to the national health service. Opposition parties and medical associations say the reality of the additional health budget allocation is not as the government would portray it.
Premier Giorgia Meloni on Thursday responded to criticisms about the funds allocated for the national health system in the 2025 budget bill, calling them “falsehoods.”
Opposition parties and medical associations argue that the 2025 budget provides just €900million in new healthcare funding, which they say is insufficient to address issues like long waiting lists. However, the government maintains that the actual investment is much higher.
“I have heard many falsehoods over the last few hours about healthcare and the budget law,” Meloni said on social media.
“So let’s make it even clearer: +6.4 billion for healthcare in two years (+2.37 billion in 2025 and +4.12 billion in 2026). All-time record for the national health funding: 136.48 billion in 2025 and 140.6 billion in 2026. These are the numbers. The rest is mystification.”
Despite this ‘clarification’, Nino Cartabellotta, president of the Gimbe Foundation, maintained his criticism.
“Dear Premier Giorgia Meloni, your attempt to provide more clarity is even more confusing,” Cartabellotta said on X.
“Because you add up the resources allocated to health in two budget laws: 2024 and 2025. While we wait for the text of the budget bill, the numbers are: +0.86 billion in 2025; +3.1 billion in 2026; +0.17 billion in 2027, according to the DBP (draft budget plan).
“Never mind the records, they belong to sport. Otherwise, let’s cite as a sad record the 4.5 million people who no longer get treatment, 2.5 million of whom for economic reasons.”
