One hundred million euros for first responders to flood devastated areas in Emilia Romagna. The government is preparing an initial package of measures for what can be described as “stage one” with “urgent” actions after the emergency, and is already taking into account the need to intervene again when the balance of damage is clear. In fact, it is impossible to measure the extent of what has happened so far in precise terms: there are still isolated facts, and an effective census is already impossible for the most affected sectors, areas and companies.
The Decree of the Council of Ministers, which was issued today, May 23, includes “first stage” interventions: stopping tax payments, postponing mortgage installments, postponing hearings.
There should be no commissioner appointment in today’s 23 May decree. Initially there was talk of twenty million interventions – a figure put forward by Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci – now the total amount has increased. Obviously, the question of coverage remains: where can I get the necessary money? Deputy Economy Minister Maurizio Leo estimated that the government is considering auctioning additional lotteries and cars seized from organized crime.
What’s in today’s May 23 decree for the flood in Emilia?
The content of the decree, which was adopted in the Council of Ministers today on May 23, has been filtered so far.
- The extension of the state of emergency is already scheduled for 4 May. The number of relevant municipalities should now exceed one hundred.
- Suspension of tax and social security payments until October or November. “From May 1, everything related to payments and liabilities due will be suspended and deferred. The same will be done with withholding taxes; a very delicate issue concerns tax withholding officers who must file the withholding tax on May 1 source and then.” Here, too, we identify the most advantageous solutions not only for employers but also for workers.
- Suspension of processes.
- Layoff fund for companies whose activity is blocked.
- Possibility to save the tests of public competitions for candidates living in flooded municipalities.
- The suspension of private mortgages should be contained in an agreement with the ABI, not in the decree.
“Phase 2” post-flooding in Emilia Romagna
For the ‘phase 2’, much more resources will be needed and access to the European Solidarity Fund is expected, just like the earthquake that hit the same territory eleven years ago: 670 million in this case, 12 billion compared to the previous year.
“The first measures are to exempt companies and citizens from paying taxes for the emergency, stopping all obligations that people and businesses cannot fulfill,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement recently. “Later – he added – it will be necessary to work on compensation and restructuring, but that requires an accurate estimation of the damage. Work should also be done on simplifying procedures, and that is perhaps one of the most strategic things right now.”
Source: Today IT

Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.