Meloni tries to salvage the Ferragosto celebrations and sends signals on migrants

 The government is saving the Ferragosto holiday. Or rather: it’s trying to. A new measure on fuel prices has been announced; this latest one will last until 25 August: the Council of Ministers has given the green light, extending the 17-cent discount on diesel that would otherwise have expired tomorrow. Petrol remains excluded, for now, and the opposition is up in arms: “Meloni has betrayed us, yet again”. They’re doing what they can at Palazzo Chigi, crunching the numbers since this morning: economic calculations, of course. But political ones too, both within and outside the majority. There’s Roberto Vannacci pressing the issue; his poll ratings are rising, and today he returns to Rome to highlight the government’s contradictions, from immigration to energy. Which remains a major problem, but is being swept under the carpet.

The Council of Ministers begins over an hour late; the agenda is packed and brings with it friction between allies. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attempts to find common ground and, before the Council meeting, gathers her deputies, Matteo Salvini and Antonio Tajani. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti is present, and the issue of securing funding remains. In the afternoon, shortly before the Council meeting at Palazzo Chigi, Salvini digs his heels in and brings up his pet topic once again: windfall profits. “Funds shouldn’t be sought from smokers or young people having a cocktail, but from the major Italian banks.” Giorgetti has to juggle the various sensitivities; the windfall won’t work miracles for a measure that ultimately amounts to around 245 million. “We’ve cut some expenditure across the ministries,” says the Minister for the Economy and Finance, who cannot hide the ministers’ discontent: “They weren’t very happy, but we’ll see.” The fallout may become apparent later, but yesterday a signal had to be sent. After all, there’s never enough to go round. Giorgia Meloni also admits as much: “We are trying to do our bit to limit the effects of price rises, at a time when the international situation remains very complex. From 25 August, the variable excise duty mechanism will come back into force, and we will continue to monitor it closely to assess any further action that may be required,” writes the Prime Minister on social media, listing the “various important measures”. Among these is the green light for the reorganisation of the Court of Auditors, which is set to spark further debate. The judges immediately speak of a “curtailment of our autonomy” and promise to fight back. New staff are to be recruited in the education sector – as well as measures on facial recognition, which had caused major tensions between Forza Italia and Meloni’s supporters. At the press conference, the Minister for Civil Protection, Nello Musumeci, takes the floor first. He is joined by his colleagues Paolo Zangrillo, Anna Maria Bernini and Alessandra Locatelli, as well as the Deputy Minister for Justice, Francesco Paolo Sisto. Musumeci announces the allocation of 100 million euros in the wake of the earthquake, “primarily in the municipality of Pozzuoli”.

And then there is the PA decree issued by Minister Zangrillo, which also sends a signal on immigration: 500 special recruitments, including officers and assistants for the State Police, who will bolster border control and migration flow monitoring services. “In light of what is happening in the world at the moment, this is a significant injection of resources for those dealing with these issues,” says Zangrillo. And it is a measure that comes on the day of the European summit of interior ministers following the Ceuta crisis – the summit called for by Meloni, in coordination with Copenhagen. This is also where the defence against Vannacci, remigration and the slogans of the Futurists comes into play. Matteo Piantedosi – who expressed solidarity with Spain following the recent exchanges – reiterated the need for a common European response. The Ministry of the Interior is putting forward a proposal for a system of incentives for countries that cooperate on repatriation, as well as the need for hubs in third countries. Today, the Chamber of Deputies will vote on the Justice and Immigration Decree-Law, which transposes European regulations on migration and asylum. For the government, this is another building block in its plan. But above all, it will be Giorgetti’s day, with his statements on the flexibility clause concerning the economy and defence, and the row in the Chamber. On one side is the centre-left, which is expected to present a united front this time. On the other is Vannacci, representing the right-wing opposition. Meloni’s thorn in the side.