Rome, 8 October 2025 — Premier Giorgia Meloni said Tuesday that Italian banks may again be asked to contribute to the 2026 budget bill.
“We already did it last year,” Meloni said on Porta a Porta on Rai1. “I have no intention of punishing the banking system, which is an asset to the nation. But there are Italians who still need to be secured, and I think we can ask for help again.”
Talks on the 2026 budget are underway as the government seeks to balance social support with fiscal discipline.
Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti echoed Meloni’s comments, saying banks had a duty to support the real economy. “Banks are making huge profits,” Giorgetti told a League conference in Livorno. “They must go back to being banks — taking savings and deposits and lending to businesses.”
He criticised lenders for focusing on wealth management instead of financing productive activity.
“Many loans today are granted only with a government guarantee covering 80% of the risk,” Giorgetti said. “When there’s profit, banks take it; when there’s loss, the government takes it.”
He stressed that the government did not intend to “persecute” anyone but wanted each sector to contribute fairly. “We ask everyone to do what they can or can afford to do,” he said.
