Crisis strengthens Italian right
According to a recent poll, right-wing parties in Italy have managed to retain their strong support. At present, 46.7 per cent of Italian voters would cast their ballots to one of the three centre-right parties, the Lega Nord, the Brothers of Italy (FdI) and Forza Italia. The latter s president, Silvio Berlusconi, has said the government must take resolute action to secure the biggest amounts possible from the EU s economic recovery programmes.
Forza Italia chief Silvio Berlusconi has called on Giuseppe Conte s government to take immediate action to help Italian businesses hit hard by the novel coronavirus crisis. According to Berlusconi, the left-wing government should primarily support artisans, tradesmen, craftsmen and the private entrepreneurs with non-refundable grants. He says entrepreneurs who have lost a significant portion of their income due to the two-and-a-half-month lockdown should be given tax exemptions until the end of 2020. He also urged the government to immediately transfer the unemployment benefits to those left without a job, according to the online edition of the daily Il Giornale.
Per salvare le imprese, quindi lavoro, consumi e benessere della nazione, occorrono pochi grandi interventi: contributi a fondo perduto, un anno sabbatico del fisco, che la cassa di integrazione sia versata subito ai lavoratori che ne hanno bisogno perché non hanno lavoro. pic.twitter.com/Ef7St6mLax
— Silvio Berlusconi (@berlusconi) May 19, 2020
Germany and France announced the establishment of a 500-billion-euro recovery fund to boost the economies of EU member states, and Italy will likely be among its major beneficiaries. Berlusconis stressed, however, that the Italian government must act swiftly to „receive not only 500, but 1,000 billion euros” from the resources made available by the EU and the European Central Bank (ECB). The politician also said that his party „has another 150 proposals to restart Italy” and he expressed hope that Conte s cabinet „will no longer just formally pay attention to what we say.”
La cancelliera tedesca Merkel e il presidente francese Macron annunciano un piano da 500 miliardi per il rilancio dell Unione Europea pic.twitter.com/nOp65HyHaR
— Tg3 (@Tg3web) May 18, 2020
Il centro-destra è unito anche se ogni sua componente viene da culture e da storie diverse. Dimostreremo la nostra unità il 2 giugno con una manifestazione composta e di forte valore simbolico a fianco dell Italia che vuole ripartire. pic.twitter.com/gMdm00mTb2
— Silvio Berlusconi (@berlusconi) May 19, 2020
Silvio Berlusconi stressed that his party and the other right-wing movements have acted as „responsible opposition parties” during the novel coronavirus crisis. He added that center-right parties are preparing to hold a joint demonstration on 2 June to celebrate the Italian National Day, similar to the one organised last September. „The protest will send a strong symbolic message, because we stand by Italy as it is getting ready for a new start,” Berlusconi said.