Is the maneuver late? Here’s what the government risks

The parliamentary process of the economic maneuver is proceeding slowly, thus, denounces the opposition, in the last few hours the risk of a slip has become more concrete until after Christmas of the final vote of the amended text in the Chamber and therefore in the Senate close to New Year’s Eve. Inevitably, any delay in approving the budget law causes the specter of possible recourse to the provisional exercise to materialize, which would be triggered in the event of no green light from Parliament by 31 December. It wouldn’t be the first time, it’s already happened 33 times. During the First Republic, the provisional budget year was a consolidated practice, practically a custom in the years of centrism and the first organic center left. What made the news was rather a budget approved on time, as happened with the Christian Democrat Mariano Rumor at Palazzo Chigi in 1969 in the heart of the hot autumn. Then progressively recourse to the provisional exercise was reduced, also to honor the growing community bonds assumed with the European institutions, even though it was re-proposed several times in the 80s during the season of the five-party. The last to use it was the DC Giovanni Goria in 1988 in his short season at the helm of the government.

Several factors have led to the current situation. The first: the elections at the end of September, with the government sworn in about a month later, had never happened in republican Italy to vote in the autumn for policies. A factor that has certainly compressed the times. To further complicate the situation some uncertainties of the majority in the management of the process and on the amendments to which to give priority, with the Budget Commission of the Chamber convened from the morning of Thursday 15 December to vote on the modification proposals and the government texts that have been deposited only on Sunday 18 December in the evening and on Monday 19. What happens in the event of failure to approve the budget on time? “The provisional exercise of the budget cannot be granted except by law and for periods not exceeding a total of four months”, provides for article 81 of the Constitution. Public expenditure is allowed “by twelfths”, ie: in each month a maximum of one twelfth of the items entered in the chapters of the draft budget can be used. The limitation applies to both accrual expenses and cash expenses. Compulsory exits, such as those for the salaries of state personnel, escape this constraint.

Several factors have led to the current situation. The first: the elections at the end of September, with the government sworn in about a month later, had never happened in republican Italy to vote in the autumn for policies. A factor that has certainly compressed the times. To further complicate the situation some uncertainties of the majority in the management of the process and on the amendments to which to give priority, with the Budget Commission of the Chamber convened from the morning of Thursday 15 December to vote on the modification proposals and the government texts that have been deposited only on Sunday 18 December in the evening and on Monday 19. What happens in the event of failure to approve the budget on time? “The provisional exercise of the budget cannot be granted except by law and for periods not exceeding a total of four months”, provides for article 81 of the Constitution. Public expenditure is allowed “by twelfths”, ie: in each month a maximum of one twelfth of the items entered in the chapters of the draft budget can be used. The limitation applies to both accrual expenses and cash expenses. Compulsory exits, such as those for the salaries of state personnel, escape this constraint.