Giorgetti confirms priority for the middle class and prepares the discussion with the EU on the safeguard clause

Lowering taxes for the middle class remains the priority. The Minister of Economy, Giancarlo Giorgetti, goes straight to the starting points of the maneuver: reduction of Irpef also for the middle class, with an indirect reference to the bracket between 50 and 60 thousand euros, cut in structural car tax and flat tax for salary increases for young people. And it is preparing for a confrontation with the European Commission on the safeguard clause for defense and energy spending, after the definitive data from Istat confirmed a 2025 deficit/GDP ratio of 3.1%, too high for an early exit from the infringement procedure. “We have been evaluating what could have been done in this situation since April,” he said.

The decision on the activation of the clause will be made by the whole government. And the parties are already in turmoil. Opening the topic was Matteo Salvini who, the day after having called for an excess of billions, seems to be holding back: "I'm not interested in the form, but in the substance: if it's not a deviation, an important and courageous budget law that focuses on investments". Brothers of Italy called for prudence. "I believe it is right to seek investments and support, but always within a framework of compatibility of public finance", stated the economic manager of Fdi, Marco Osnato, according to whom the deviation should not be made. "It's not a question of being prudent. Either we bet on growth or we pull the handbrake", replied the deputy prime minister. The other majority parties begin to mark the ground, indicating priorities and flag choices. "Forza Italia will not vote on a budget law that contains the sugar tax", declared spokesperson Raffaele Nevi. While the secretary of Noi Moderati, Mara Carfagna, asked to "invest in young people with more energy", presenting the proposal of zero taxes for three years for young people with their first work contract. Giorgetti reassured: we keep the accounts and the growth together. The summary on the maneuver will take place "shortly", because first of all the public finance framework will have to be updated.

"At the beginning of next month, the strategic and political indications from the government will be clarified," he anticipated. In the next few days we will also discuss the use of the derogation clause from European energy rules - of which up to 14 billion have been requested for 2026, 2027 and 2028 - and which has been granted. If they are in deficit, the exit from the infringement procedure, scheduled for next year, could be postponed. But so far we are "absolutely in line with the budget", underlined Giorgetti who claimed that he had not failed in the public finances for not having managed to exit a year early. Even on growth, "we are not at the tail end of Europe. Other countries are in much worse conditions in an absolutely unfavorable international context", he reiterated, citing the latest OECD data. The international organization has revised its forecasts for Italy's GDP upwards to 0.9% in 2026 from 0.5%, before contracting to 0.6% in 2027.

Confindustria does not hide its concern. "The latest data are naturally not encouraging: they do not allow us to return from the infringement procedure, therefore they will make it difficult to find resources that we can dedicate to energy", said the vice-president of Confindustria, Aurelio Regina. "We are really at risk of suspending production or in any case slowing down heavily due to costs", he added, asking to identify together measures that can reconcile both the public budget and the situation of the industrial world, and that of the country in general.