Manfred Weber, president of the EPP, and Antoni Tajani, coordinator of Forza Italia
The EU Commission ready to give the green light to 21 billion of the NRP
The European Commission is ready to give the green light to the second installment of loans for Italy of 21 billion euros since Recovery fund. The preliminary positive evaluation of the request made by Rome at the end of June is about to arrive from Brussels, which certifies the achievement of the 45 objectives set in the NRP for the first half of 2022. Palazzo Chigi.
“The European Commission carefully evaluates the capacity of the Government and of Administrations local and central authorities to respect the commitments made both in quantitative (objectives) and qualitative (goals) terms, highlighting the significant steps taken in the implementation of the NRP, explain the same sources. In particular, by June 30, 2022 important reforms have been carried out such as the one introducing the new territorial health, the completion of the public administration reform, the rules on public procurement and the reforms for the education system. Among the investments, funds were assigned for the redevelopment and enhancement of the territories, for the revitalization of villages and cultural heritage including historic parks and gardens, to improve the energy efficiency of cinemas, theaters and museums. Other resources have supported new digital connection projects and in the field of research, for the national strategy of the circular economy and for the national program for waste management, as well as making progress for the creation of a supply chain of hydrogen production.
After the formalization of the preliminary positive assessment by the European Commission, the disbursement of the second installment will take approximately two months. In fact, the final go-ahead of the Economic Committee And financial – the technical arm of the EU Council of Finance Ministers (Ecofin) -, a passage that takes a maximum of four weeks. Within about another month of the technical opinion, Brussels will disburse to Italy the installment of 21 billion euros. Meanwhile, the government is working on 55 goals and objectives to be achieved by the end of the year and which will give the right to request the third installment of funding from Brussels, amounting to an additional 19 billion euros.
The Government’s action aims to achieve numerous objectives in advance, already in September and then in October, with respect to the deadline of 31 December 2022. This is about 50% of the interventions, on which the European Commission will exercise its evaluation. Among the measures already implemented there are the reform of the tax commissions, that of the technical and professional institutes, while the one aimed at guaranteeing full management capacity for integrated water services is being completed; in addition, investment plans for urban regeneration in cities were approved subwaysinterventions for the reclamation of orphan sites, the establishment of the university housing fund, the establishment of the National Cybersecurity Agency and new resources for the digital transition of Municipalities.
Weber’s warning: “PNRR funds will only come by carrying out the Draghi reforms”
Criticism in Germany against the president of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber, for having campaigned for Forza Italia thus contributing – according to critics – to having led a far-right government to lead the country. Weber’s defense is the one that has been going on for several weeks, at least since he went to Italy to bring his support to the coalition. The German MEP, president of the Group of the EPP, is convinced that “thanks to the involvement of Forza Italia in the Meloni alliancethe new government coalition in Italy has clear pro-European priorities and the will to deepen relations with Brussels and strengthen Europe“.
In any case, he specified that in Germany he would be the first to “provide the bricks for the wall against the far right” but “Italy is Italy”. Weber’s act of faith – he himself defined it this way – is based on the belief that strong economic headwinds and a recession ahead of this winter will force Rome to “rule from the center”. Also, “Meloni knows that he will get the funds from the Recovery only if the reforms in which Draghi is committed are implemented “. But this is not enough for his party.” Ppe does not have the task of bringing the nationalists of the right and the far right to the government “, thundered the leader of the CSU Markus Soder after a meeting of CSU executives.
“We have always made it clear that we will build a wall against extreme right-wing neo-fascist groups, and this is the overwhelming opinion of the CSU”, he clarified at the end of a meeting that – according to the German media – was not easy for Weber. The group leader Alexander Dobrindt would have asked him to “exclude collaborations with the post-fascists”, according to what was reported by the participants of the Suddeutsche Zeitung. “The center-right should never support” those who hold the stirrups of right-wing nationalists in Europe“Dobrindt later declared on television.
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