Domestic Politics
Campania: In Naples, Giorgia Meloni revived the themes of Campania’s development during a rally supporting centre-right candidate Cirielli in the regional elections on 23–24 November. The revival of Bagnoli, the 2027 America’s Cup event in Naples, and the Caivano model are central to the centre-right campaign in Campania, which aims to make a comeback despite Roberto Fico, the centre-left candidate, leading by 7–10 points. The prime minister attacked incumbent governor De Luca (Democratic Party) over healthcare, although the Regional Administrative Court (Tar) ruled in favour of the region on the recovery plan, providing an advantage to the centre-left.
Centre-Left: In Bologna, the centre-left gathered mayors and local administrators to define a shared political alternative. An agreement was reached on 16 amendments to the budget law, which will be discussed in the Senate. The proposals, signed by the entire centre-left coalition, cover fiscal drag, Opzione Donna, strengthening healthcare, minimum wage, No Tax areas, pensions, shared parental leave, universal allowance, and measures for education, justice, and universities. Elly Schlein emphasised the importance of these amendments for national cohesion and growth.
Foreign Policy
Ukraine: Italy approved a new aid package for Ukraine despite the reservations of Matteo Salvini, who raised doubts following the corruption case in Kyiv. Defence Minister Crosetto dismissed these arguments, stating that one cannot judge a country based on a few corrupt individuals, and that the goal is to assist civilians affected by Russian attacks. Foreign Minister Tajani also reaffirmed support for Kyiv, stressing the need to defend its security and independence as Russian bombardments on Ukrainian civilians continue.
Israel: The United States and several Arab countries are calling for a swift UN approval of the draft resolution on Gaza, aiming for a vote on 17 November. Washington is seeking to avoid vetoes by Russia and China. Moscow, aiming to play a central role, has presented a counter-proposal that excludes the demilitarisation of Gaza, rejects the Israeli presence beyond the yellow line, and does not include a Peace Board for the transition. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority has denounced the killing of two 15-year-olds near Hebron in the West Bank, which Israel has labelled as “terrorists.”
Economy and Finance
Budget Law: The Meloni government’s zero-amendment budget proposal is following a different path than expected: over 1,600 amendments have been submitted in the Senate Budget Committee by governing parties, and more than 4,100 by opposition parties, totalling 5,742 amendments. The first selection will take place on Tuesday, with around 400 amendments highlighted. Among the proposals, Fratelli d’Italia’s stands out, calling for the reopening of the 2003 building amnesty in Campania to regularise buildings mistakenly excluded due to administrative errors. Another amendment by Forza Italia proposes halving the tax rate on precious metals, particularly gold, to 13%.
Istat: According to Istat, Italy recorded its strongest export growth in over a year in September: +10.5% year-on-year, across almost all sectors and geographical areas. The United States played a decisive role, while the pharmaceutical sector led the overall trend: +58% in the month and +40% in the first nine months, pushing exports to €52 billion. Made in Italy has grown by 3.5% since the beginning of the year, but without pharmaceuticals, most sectors would be slightly declining. The trade balance remained positive at nearly €3 billion in September and over €35 billion in the first nine months, confirming the strength of the sector.