Domestic Politics
Piersanti Mattarella: New developments in the investigation into the murder of Piersanti Mattarella, brother of President Sergio Mattarella and former President of the Sicilian Region, who was killed in 1980. The Dia has ordered house arrest for former police officer and former prefect Filippo Piritore, accused of obstruction of justice. He allegedly provided false statements regarding a glove found in the killers’ car, which was never recovered or located. Investigators have accused members of institutions of seriously contaminating the investigation, aiming to prevent the identification of the perpetrators. The case also brings back the name of Bruno Contrada, former Sisde official.
Centre-right: Debate continues within the centre-right majority over the budget law following the presentation of a 18.7 billion euro fiscal plan for 2026. The discussion focuses on taxing excess profits of banks and insurance companies, as well as increasing the short-term rental tax to 26%. The League has expressed particular dissatisfaction, complaining about excessive cuts to infrastructure projects and calling for the debt write-off programme to be extended to a broader public. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said he is willing to amend the budget law, provided the overall framework and fiscal balance remain unchanged.
Foreign Policy
Ukraine: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, following a meeting in London with Volodymyr Zelensky, has called for increased supplies of long-range weapons to Ukraine and stronger security guarantees from the international coalition. Meanwhile, after new sanctions by the EU and the US against Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, Vladimir Putin described Trump’s measures as “an hostile act” and threatened a “crushing” response to the deployment of Tomahawk missiles in Ukraine. Despite economic hardship worsened by sanctions, Russia has reduced its key interest rate to 16.5%.
Mario Draghi: Mario Draghi, upon receiving the Princess of Asturias Award in Oviedo, called for a “new pragmatic federalism” in Europe, the only way to address challenges threatening the Union’s foundational principles. He proposed coalitions of willing states united by shared strategic interests—such as technology, defence, and energy—capable of acting swiftly and effectively. Draghi denounced the return of protectionism and military force, urging a more cohesive, democratic, and confident Europe built from the ground up, capable of offering young people a shared vision of the future and common pride.
Economy and Finance
Eni: Eni has raised its 2024 forecasts following better-than-expected results: net profit rose 54% to €803 million in the third quarter, with €2.52 billion recorded over nine months. The company increased its share buyback to €1.8 billion and raised the dividend by 5% to €1.05 per share. For 2025, the projected operating cash flow is €12 billion, with hydrocarbon production expected at 1.71–1.72 million barrels per day. CEO Descalzi described the results as “excellent” and highlighted strong asset valuation, with divestments and investments in Plenitude and LNG projects. Eni shares closed up 1.6%, reaching their highest level in a year.
BTp: The latest issuance of the BTp Valore bond closed with total proceeds of €16.57 billion, following a final surge of €1.26 billion recorded yesterday morning. With these results, the state bond aimed at small savers returns to the levels of the first three editions of the “Valore” series. The amount places this issuance slightly below the autumn 2023 record (€17.1 billion), but above more recent operations: the extraordinary May 2024 issue (€11.2 billion) and the February BTp Più (€14.9 billion).