In a situation in which the world economy is on its knees for the speculation and scurrilous behaviour of an entrepreneurial, political and financial class that has acted with purely speculative aims, the measure, connected to the “Save Alitalia” legal decree that opens the doors to impunity for who has verifiable responsibility in relation to these facts, it represents a gesture that undermines the country’s credibility and its capacity to recover.
I am publishing the video and the transcript of my intervention in the Chamber of Deputies this morning.
”I maintain that the President of the Council has the duty to come to Parliament and that he doesn’t have the right to go off to «il Bagaglino». Thus I believe that it is right to deplore the behaviour of that President of the Council who instead of coming to Parliament loses time by going to «il Bagaglino». In such a sensitive moment for the Italian situation.
We of Italia dei Valori consider this measure for what it is. We cannot even judge it because it doesn’t exist. Is there anyone in this Chamber who has read this measure? We are giving an expression of trust to a measure whose basic outline we have to read in the newspapers. Let’s say everything, then: in recent months the Government has disciplined everything with legal decrees, establishing even measures that serve some of them. They haven’t yet done a publicity spot for legal decrees. In fact, up until now, in reference to this legal decree, it is just a matter of an advert. How much money has the government paid out to meet the needs that have been spelled out? There’s not one euro. So it has been said: let’s settle everything – this is the first guarantee that has been pronounced - , in fact, let’s reinforce at a State level, with a hundred thousand euro, the guarantee for all current accounts. I’m wondering with what money? If it is true, as it is, that Minister Tremonti has stated that Italy is the third country in the world classification as regards the public debt and if it is true, as it is, that it cannot allow itself any further euro of deficit, with what money is he going to settle all this? Is it true or false that up until yesterday we have been told that for the banks there has been the possibility to operate because in the same context, an interbank fund has been set up to guarantee current accounts? Today we discover that that fund is such a nominal fund that it’s also necessary to have a State guarantee. But the State guarantee with what money is it given? Without setting apart even one euro.
So it’s a question, one more time, of an advert, done without money.
The second guarantee that we have been given is as follows: it has been said that if the banks should happen to be in difficulty, the State will build up its capital, money coming in from tax revenue, and if it is already in deficit and cannot spend a lira? One more time it is a matter of phrases blowing on the wind.
It has been said, if by chance then, the companies have no funds, the Bank of Italy will take responsibility to put liquidity into the banking system. With what money could the Bank of Italy do that, if it doesn’t even have what is needed to settle the State deficit? We believe that in response to the hypocrisies of “the day after” it’s necessary not to take notice and that it’s necessary to look at concrete things: this is why we are going and we want to go from the words to the actions, Signor Minister, this time I am addressing you who are not present!
You have said that Ecofin has advised us not to give payments – this is the word that you used – or unmerited fees to the managers. We have to stop saying one thing and doing another: if it is true, as it is, that article 7 bis of the Alitalia legal decree sets out that those who commit crimes cannot be pursued, if there is solely a declaration of insolvency and not of bankruptcy, this means that with words you say that you want to respect the Ecofin recommendations, but in your actions you are adopting, with this legal decree, measures that assure the lack of responsibility of the various managers who in recent years have reduced the situation of the society to this low point like this.
Basically, you are saying today that you want to reinforce, by giving money to the banks, the guarantee for the deposits that the citizens have with the banks. To which banks? With article 7 bis of the legal decree mentioned before, you are guaranteeing impunity even to that Geronzi, Chair of Mediobanca (Applause from the deputies of the group Italia dei Valori), that is, you are guaranteeing impunity to one of those people who is under investigation for the Cirio disaster, and the Parmalat disaster among others. In other words, exactly for those disasters that are a result of that creative accounting of recent years. This is the difference between the words and the actions: you in your words say that you want to meet the repercussions of the financial crisis in our country by giving stability, liquidity and trust. If only! We too would like to take steps to meet you with these commitments that you have, but the legal decree adopted yesterday does not set apart a euro, in fact it establishes that the State will pay everything, but with the money of others. The only thing that it has produced is a great feast of the “hour after” at “il Bagaglino”, while of concrete facts, no intervention has been done for the families, for the small and medium sized companies, to give back transparency to this finance market. In fact, the only intervention carried out has been to guarantee the impunity of those who are the cause of these collapses To me it seems that between the words and the actions there is a great difference.
So we repeat that we are in agreement with that government that would one day decide to do something for the Italians. But once more, today with a legal decree, you have managed to provide not a solution for the Italians, but an advertising spot to just sell yourselves. (Applause from the deputies of the group Italia dei Valori) .”