A surprise proposal arrived in Parliament to change the two per thousand, as an amendment to the tax decree: the parties could also be given the money of those who have not chosen a political force to support. The sum could go from around 25 to over 40 million euros. But Mattarella intervened on the rule, inviting them to renounce it.
Double the two per thousand income to the parties. This is the effect that two amendments to the tax bill would have. In essence, political parties would be paid not only the money of taxpayers who have chosen to support one with their 0.2% of the personal income tax. But also those of everyone else, who leave the field blank in the tax return. The effect will be significant, bringing the maximum ceiling from 25 million euros to around 42 million euros per year. But about editing Sergio Mattarella would have intervenedstopping the work.
In fact, according to what was reported by Il Sole 24 Ore, a stop would have come from the technical offices of the Quirinale for various reasons. First of all, because the amendments would have little to do with the rest of the decree. Then, because the issue is delicate and a separate reform would be neededand not an intervention in a law decree. And finally because the change would have a major impact on public finances, affecting the decisions citizens make on how they are spent.
The original text of the amendments had been presented by the Pd and the Green-Left Alliance, but the content was decidedly more limited: moving the maximum ceiling established by law from 25 million to 28 million euros. Then he intervened Meloni governmentwhich had implemented the amendments in exchange for a substantial rewrite.
No bonus for those who enroll in private schools: Fdi thinks again about the amendment to the budget
The 5 Star Movement reacted with the group leader in the Senate Stefano Patuanelli: “A coup by the government”, he commented, “the increase in funds is unacceptable, it is no longer the citizens’ option but public financing for the parties. There we will oppose with all our strength.” For his part, Avs said it does not intend to accept the reformulation. If the government wants to continue, parliamentary sources said, the signature will be withdrawn.
How two per thousand, public financing of parties, works today
Today, with the mechanism that has been in force since 2013, when you fill out your tax return you can decide to assign two per thousand of your tax to a party. It’s not an obligation: whoever doesn’t do it, however, cannot keep that two per thousand, but the sum is kept together with the rest of the state’s revenues instead of going to a political force.
It is the so-called ‘unopted’, that is, that of who did not choose any option. Already in recent months, the unopted option was discussed as one of the possible ways to effectively increase public funding for parties. A PD bill, already filed in the Senate some time ago, envisaged using it for this purpose.
The change would instead ensure that “in the event of unexpressed choices on the part of taxpayers”, the money would still be allocated to the political parties. How? “In proportion to the choices expressed“. That is, those who gained the most would be those parties that obtained the majority of ‘preferences’ from taxpayers who made a choice for two per thousand.
Which party would gain the most with the new mechanism
Il Pd it has long been the party that receives the most funds from the two per thousand. This year, based on tax returns of 2023, obtained contributions from over 530 thousand taxpayers. This guaranteed a collection of 8.1 million euros. Which with the new rules could become more than 12 million.
He placed second Brothers of Italy with around 350 thousand choices in his favor. The 4.8 million euros he received would become almost 8 million. The 5 Star Movement (174 thousand choices) would go from 1.8 million to almost 4 million, the League (91 thousand choices) from 1.1 million to around 2 million.
Even if the amendments were approved, the changes would only start from 2026. In fact, the new rules would come into force with the tax decree but would apply to next year’s tax return. In turn, the two per thousand would then be distributed at the beginning of 2026.
Source: www.fanpage.it
