Meloni’s test at the first European summit

Giorgia Meloni – Picture by Ansa Foto

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s first trip to Brussels is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday 3 November, where she will meet the leaders of the European institutions.

A meeting with Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, is scheduled for 4.30 p.m., while at 5.30 p.m. with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. Finally, at 7 p.m., there will be the summit with Charles Michel, President of the European Council.

In the following days, the Prime Minister will travel to Sharm el-Sheikh for the COP27 and to Bali for the G20 summit.

Topics on the agenda

Topics on the agenda include energy, the establishment of the NRRR and the war in Ukraine, but Meloni’s main task will be to talk about his government’s agenda. The main theme is the level of deficit that will be reached with the budget law whose parliamentary process will begin in the coming weeks.

Giancarlo Giorgetti, Minister of Economy and Finance, predicts that to cope with rising prices, the deficit will reach 4.5% of GDP in 2023. A figure much higher than that of his predecessor Franco, who intended to carry it to 3.9% in 2023. in order not to exceed the 3% limit in 2024, as required by the Treaties and the Stability and Growth Pact, which could be fully operational again.

The figure of 4.5% could increase further if the majority also begins to keep its promises on pensions and taxation, from the next finance law.

The box roof and combustion cars

Another issue that will be addressed by Giorgia Meloni will be raising the cash cap. The initial proposal from the League is to raise the limit to 10,000 euros, but it may have already been reduced, as it is not justified by the indications of the European Commission and the ECB. The Meloni government is also against limiting combustion cars from 2035.