PM Giorgia Meloni said today that preparing the 2024 budget “with limited resources” was “the real challenge” her government faced. Focus will be on helping families, low-earners and health care, she said.
In her annual report to the assembly of her right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, Meloni said limited resources were the biggest challenge, sources said. She said the focus of the 2024 budget would be on helping families and low earners and boosting health care.
Meloni added the coming year would be one of “great reforms” and of the government’s “Mattei plan”. The project is named after Enrico Mattei, the founder of oil company Eni, focusing on cooperation on energy with African countries and on curbing irregular migration.
The PM admitted the economic situation was “difficult” while stressing that Italy’s GDP growth level is forecast to remain “above the European average”. She also hailed “record figures” on employment.
She also blasted the opposition for criticising the government over the 0.4% drop in GDP registered in the second quarter of this year with respect to the first.
“It makes me quite angry to see them celebrate every slightest difficulty Italy has,” she said. “In the last quarter, our GDP contracted slightly and they cheered like a goal in the World Cup final.
“People were cheering against Italy; uncorking bottles and cheering from their balconies at a drop in GDP”.
She also reiterated her defence of the windfall tax the government imposed on banks after the ECB’s interest-rate hikes led to higher profits.
“They even objected to the taxation of the banks’ surplus profits,” Meloni said. “Do you know why? Because they did not have the courage that we did. But I defend that measure, which has no intent to punish. It is a just regulation”.
