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The
measures, pushed by the far-right cabinet headed by Premier
Giorgia Meloni, won final approval in the Upper House by 108
votes to 63.
The country’s center-left opposition had harshly criticized the
economic package, saying it didn’t meet the premier’s pledges to
slash taxes for most Italians and boost employment.
Meloni has staunchly defended the budget, stressing its “wide
balance” and its aim to support low and medium-income earners
and families with children, while adding resources for the
country’s struggling health system.
“We used the limited resources available to strengthen the main
measures approved during the past years, making them structural
and widening them to include a larger audience,” the premier
said after the budget’s final approval.
The package includes a 1,000-euro bonus for the parents of
newborns, with wealthier families excluded, as part of efforts
to reverse Italy’s declining birth rate.
Banks, which have enjoyed high profits in recent years thanks to
falling interest rates, will be asked to contribute 3.5 billion
euros to the budget, which will to go the national health
system.
Italy is under pressure from the European Union to slash its
deficit after huge spikes in 2022 and 2023, and has pledged to
bring it below the EU’s 3% of GDP ceiling in 2026.
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