Italy: five MPs are said to have applied for Corona aid money for the self-employed

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The Parliament in Rome

The Roman newspaper "La Repubblica" has christened them the "five whores of Montecitorio": According to a report by the newspaper, five Italian MPs have applied for state corona aid payments for freelancers. "The 12,439 euro diets that they earn every month were not enough for them," writes the daily newspaper. Other privileges and perks from which the parliamentarians benefited, such as free travel at the expense of the taxpayer, were apparently not enough for them.

In order to mitigate the economic consequences of the corona pandemic, the Italian government decided on an aid package in the spring. Among other things, it provided for monthly payments for the self-employed (such as merchants, craftsmen, farmers), freelancers and unemployed seasonal workers in the tourism industry in the amount of 600 (later 1000) euros per month.

The so-called VAT bonus must be applied for from the most important social security institution in Italy, the "Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale" (INPS). According to "Repubblica", an anti-corruption unit of the INPS exposed the affair. The names of the five MPs have not yet been disclosed for data protection reasons.

TV presenter in sight

As the "Repubblicca" wrote further, three of the MPs are said to belong to the right-wing populist "Lega", one of the left-wing populist "five-star movement" and one of the "Italia Viva" party founded by former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. According to "Repubblica", a TV presenter is said to be among them.

Parliamentarians of all stripes unanimously condemned the five MPs. "It is shameful and really indecent," wrote Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio of the Five Star Movement on Facebook and, like Matteo Salvini, party leader of the right-wing "Lega", called for the five "whistles" to resign.

It is "a shame that five MPs took advantage of the VAT bonus. These MPs have to apologize and give back what they have received," the "Corriere della Sera" quoted the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, 5 digit -Member Roberto Fico.

"May I say this is a real shame?"

Deputy Minister of the Economy and Finance, Laura Castelli, joined in the criticism of her party comrades: "We took this measure to help those who really suffer, who suddenly got into trouble, who really needed them," said Castelli according to "Corriere".

But members of the other parties also distanced themselves from the five MPs. The Partito Democratico's secretary, Nicola Zingaretti, wrote on Facebook: "May I say that this is a real shame?" "It is outrageous", quoted the "Corriere" Licia Ronzulli from the right-wing populist "Forza Italia".

The corona pandemic has plunged the economically troubled country into a deep crisis. According to forecasts by the EU Commission, the Italian gross domestic product could collapse by 11.2 percent this year - a negative record.

To alleviate the hardship and boost the economy, the government recently approved an economic stimulus package worth 25 billion euros. It comprises more than a hundred individual measures, including tax breaks.

Of all the countries in Europe, Italy receives the greatest aid from the EU's 750 billion fund for the reconstruction of Europe: The country will receive 209 billion euros, of which 82 billion euros will be purely grants.