Fiscal flexibility letter from Meloni to the EU

Prime Minister Meloni, in his speech yesterday at the 80th anniversary of the founding of the National Confederation of Craftsmen and Entrepreneurs (CNA), sent a letter to the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and said: "We cannot ignore the complete change in these financial accounts, which depends on the current situation and not on the decisions of the government. We ask for this to be taken into consideration." he said.

According to reports in the Italian press, in his letter, Meloni pointed out the impact of rising energy prices in Europe on inflation and said, "The agreed spending paths for net expenditures within the scope of the European fiscal framework leave limited space to alleviate the impact on families and businesses without resorting to restrictive measures, at a time when the economy faces significant downward risks." he said.

Answering the question about Meloni's letter, EU Commission Spokesperson Paula Pinho stated that "member countries have already been granted additional flexibility" and signaled that Brussels is not keen on Italy's request.

It was reported in the press that Italian Minister of Economy and Finance Giancarlo Giorgetti said that the government would request a maximum flexibility margin of 0.6 percent of the Gross Domestic Product for energy security and 0.9 percent of the Gross Domestic Product for defense.