Tajani Rejects League Proposal for Tax on Bank’s Surplus Profits

Perugia: Deputy Premier, Foreign Minister, and Forza Italia leader Antonio Tajani has dismissed the idea of imposing a tax on the surplus profits of banks, a proposal earlier supported by a prominent member of the League, part of the ruling coalition. Tajani firmly stated the government’s position against such taxation during a conference in Perugia, marking a clear division within the coalition.

According to Ansa News Agency, the controversy began earlier on the same day when Andrea Crippa, League Deputy Secretary, advocated for the tax in an interview with Affaritaliani.it. Crippa argued that it would be “fair and equitable” for Italy’s leading banks to contribute to redistributing wealth, enhancing economic growth, and assisting the less affluent sectors of society. He highlighted that the top seven Italian credit institutions had nearly doubled their profits over the past two years, driven by what he described as an “unjustified, insane rise in interest rates by the ECB.”

This internal conflict comes in
the wake of a statement from League leader, Deputy Premier, and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, who last week voiced a populist call to “make the bankers pay, not the workers.” Tajani’s outright rejection of the proposal underscores the ongoing ideological and strategic rifts within Italy’s right-wing coalition government, led by Premier Giorgia Meloni.