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May 31, 2020 The attempt to return the annuities to the Calabria Region would seem unsuccessful. The measure, approved on May 26 ultracelere and unanimously by the regional councilors, should be definitively trashed on Wednesday 3 June when the regional council will meet to repeal the newborn law.

First it was Luigi Di Maio who thundered against the reappearance of a rule that for years has been perceived by public opinion as a hated privilege. But the leader of the League, Matteo Salvini, and not least the unions had also thrown himself against. 

The fact that the norm voted would also provide for the award of the annuity also weighs on the reverse, even if the politician should lapse for some reason, in any case giving the possibility to mature what is called the 'end of term treatment' equal at 600 euros.

Di Maio wrote in a post: "While citizens have serious economic difficulties and businesses are hit hard by the crisis, the Calabria region reintroduces the annuity. Really surreal".

Matteo Salvini said: "The Calabrians are tough people asking for more work, safe roads and railways, efficient hospitals and a future for their children, certainly not annuities for politicians".

"I read of regional councilors who would now like to retrace their steps, well, abolish this law immediately," said CGIL Calabria secretary general Angelo Sposato.

According to the president of the regional assembly of Calabria, Domenico Tallini, the Council of Calabria will meet in extraordinary session on Wednesday 3 June with only one item on the agenda: the total repeal of the proposed law with which changes have been made to two articles of the Regional Law 13/2019. According to Tallini "it is urgent to clarify to the public opinion that the Assembly in no way intends to favor, perpetuate or even restore 'privileges' that have already been canceled".

In the meantime, the deputy minister for economics, the pentastellate Laura Castelli, also said: "It is absurd that in the midst of a global pandemic someone, perhaps hoping for the general distraction of the whole of Italy committed to leaving, try to pocket an annuity. Fortunately, raising your voice worked. "

Her party companion Francesco D'Uva echoes her, who notes that "in Calabria they are retreating on the restoration of regional annuities, even after Luigi di Maio's intervention. We will see, we will continue to supervise. Restoring similar privileges is disrespectful to citizens, especially in a historical moment like this ".

The standoff over the measure had already started for days in Calabria: "I have signed my signature, after that of 7 other majority and minority group leaders, on a bill that does not involve major or new burdens on the regional budget ", Pippo Callipo, group leader of 'I'm staying in Calabria', tried to explain last Friday. A clarification rejected in no uncertain terms on the same day by the pentastellato deputy Alessandro Melicchio: "They incredibly declared that they had not read what they voted, declaring themselves in favor without their knowledge, therefore, or that they did not imagine that the granting of new annuities could mean an outlay by the Region, and therefore by citizens ".