The rush to the train of the former ladies (with the M5S in the front row) – Corriere.it

A train ride: you could define it like this. Even if the expression is to be read in a slightly less empirical way, it is a little more theoretical. The protagonists of this race are several former ladies (primarily M5S or ex M5S) who in the last few months of the Draghi government have requested several carnets of 10 tickets for high-speed travel. Among the privileges they enjoy, parliamentarians have free rides on trains. Usually, however, they travel with simple tickets, without requiring a carnet.

The demonstration that the carnets weren’t really the first choice of parliamentarians comes from the data. As reported by Il Foglio, carnets were sold in March for 3,756 euros (equal to 7% of the total monthly expenditure for trains). In the following months, spending soars. With the government crisis, in July – Draghi’s resignation falls on the 20th – the amount spent on carnets rises to 11,979.5. In August 10,168, in September 9,631 . The real boom in carnet requests, however, is recorded in October: tickets for 50,740.5 euros. Practically thirteen times as much as in the spring, when the government was firm. Somewhat unusual numbers with the Policies already outdated and the non-re-elected parliamentarians ready to leave the Roman palaces. One suspects that there are those who have thought of stocking up on tickets.

The matter aroused curiosity of the Chamber offices that investigated in the face of the boom in requests. So on 13 October, when the new Parliament took office, they made sure that the carnets were no longer valid. Privilege forfeited together with the title of honorable.