Istat's downward revision of its estimate of Italy's acquired GDP growth for 2024 from 0.6% to 0.4% does not change government budget plans, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said Saturday.
Meanwhile Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said his Forza Italia (FI) party remained firmly against any plan to tax excessive profits of banks or multinationals after Giorgetti had appeared to open to this possibility by saying "everyone must make sacrifices" in the budget.
"We will continue to be against any tax, even the tax on extra profits," said the post Berlusconi party leader.
"Deciding what is extra and what is not extra, maybe, maybe it is from Soviet culture," he said also referring to leftwing calls for such a tax.
"Furthermore, it is harmful and discourages the markets, we cannot scare Italians - he added - who want to invest, and those who want to invest in Italy".
Tajani reiterated his view that Giorgetti's statement that everyone must make sacrifices had been misinterpreted."Giorgetti was misinterpreted in his words the other day. "He doesn't want to increase taxes, we are very firm but no one in the government wants to increase taxes, neither the League (of Giorgetti) nor Brothers of Italy (of Premier Giorgia Meloni)"."I think Giorgetti said a phrase that someone exploited", he concluded.
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