Confusion in the Senate, lack of quorum and reform of parliamentary collaborators goes up in smoke

Race against time to remedy: until tomorrow it will be possible to convene a new presidency, otherwise we will have to start from scratch

Black smoke in the Senate for the “regularization” of parliamentary collaborators. Yesterday, a presidential cabinet was convened that should have examined the possibility of adopting the same resolution approved last week by the Chamber of Deputies.

Basically, in Montecitorio it was established that from the next legislature – which will start this Thursday, the employees of the deputies will no longer be employed by the same deputies using funds for the exercise of the mandate but directly from the administration to the Chamber. This theoretically should avoid some bad practices reported in the past, such as illegal contracts, cases of underpaid assistants, non-payment of contributions.

A reform that, although perfectible, was well received by the Italian Association of Parliamentary Collaborators (Aicp) who expected its rapid adoption also in the Palazzo Madama. An epilogue that seemed obvious with the convening of the Presidency’s office yesterday which, however, did not reach the quorum to make this decision. Of the eighteen members there were, in fact, only eight. Just one more would have been enough to proceed with passing the resolution. The ten absentees represented practically the entire parliamentary arc: La Russa, Calderoli, Giro, Montevecchi, Puglia, Laforgia, Durnwalder, Ginetti, Margiotta and Binetti.

Paradoxical is the case of the latter, who also dictated a note to congratulate the turning point, taking it for granted, but then it was among the absentees that determined the impasse. Binetti herself then returned to the topic on social media, where, responding to the appeal of José De Falco, president of the Aicp, she asked President Casellati to “assemble the Council of the Presidency” because “even the parliamentary collaborators of Palazzo Madama must be able to have the same economic treatment and the same rights as colleagues in the Chamber’.

Now the ball goes back to Casellati. Theoretically, there would still be two days to fix: today and tomorrow, because the new chambers will meet on Thursday and any investigation must start from scratch. “The possibility of closing is there, just want to”, underlined De Falco on social networks.