Pnrr, the EU pays us the fourth installment. So much for owls

But what ruins, what traffic jams. The Pnrr’s Italian path continues and yesterday the payment of the fourth installment arrived, 16 and a half billion euros. Thus, our country reaches a total calculation of approximately 102 billion, more than half of the total of 194.4 predicted by the plan. There are also good prospects for the fifth installment, taking into account that all 52 expected objectives have been achieved and, therefore, the dossier is being analyzed by Brussels. It is, therefore, an evolution that defines Italian reliability in implementing the plan (whose progress, in accordance with the new rules of the Stability Pact, also intervenes in extending the time available for recovery plans). “The payment” of the installment, notes a statement from Palazzo Chigi, “is the result of the achievement, certified by the European Union, of all 28 objectives and targets” that are linked to the installment. Objectives that “relate to measures necessary to continue implementing reforms in the fields of justice and public administration, as well as important reforms in the sectors of social inclusion and the public sector”.

And once again, we read, «the main investments are linked to digitalization, in particular with regard to the transition of local public administration data to the cloud, the development of the space industry, green hydrogen, transport, research, education and social policies”. Therefore, «based on the Plan recently modified by the Council of the EU, the Meloni Government will continue with the work of full and timely implementation of the Pnrr, within the framework of continuous and close collaboration with the European Commission». This is, therefore, an advance of political substance, taking into account the constant complexity of discussions with the EU. “Great satisfaction” expressed on Facebook by the Minister of European Affairs Raffaele Fitto, who highlighted how “the commitment of President Meloni and the Government was to receive the funds by the end of 2023 and we respect it. This is the result of a great collective commitment and constant and constructive collaboration with the European Commission. Work on Pnrr continues.”

Also from the government, the Deputy Minister of the Environment, Vannia Gava, observes: «The excellent work carried out to contradict the objectives we set ourselves to reform the country is confirmed». And she emphasizes that the Ministry of the Environment “has already reached the fifth installment of 10.5 billion, accelerating in waste and the circular economy, to also overcome costly infringement processes with the EU”. Collective applause then comes from the majority, considering that the PNRR has been one of the topics of greatest friction with the left. «The payment of the fourth installment of the Pnrr together with the budgetary maneuver closes a year of successes marked by the Meloni government», observes the leader of the Brothers of Italy group in the Chamber Tommaso Foti. «The catastrophism that the left built around the advancement of the plan was refuted», observes Melonian deputy Ylenja Lucaselli. From Forza Italia, the group’s leader in the Chamber Paolo Barelli says: «The left must overcome this: we are an authoritarian, serious, concrete and, above all, credible government, in Italy and in Europe». The president of the Azzurri senators Maurizio Gasparri jokes: «There are those like the center-right government that collects the fourth installment of the Pnrr for the benefit of citizens and those like the Grillini that first destroy the public accounts and then pay 300 thousand euros of public money for Beppe Grillo ».