ROME — Italy cannot hold a national election in April because lawmakers would lack time to pass legislation devolving more powers to regional authorities, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said on June 23.
Giorgetti’s remarks responded to media and Bloomberg reports that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni might call an early vote in April next year, several months before the government’s autumn 2027 deadline. “In order to complete the parliamentary passage (of the regional devolution legislation) we cannot vote in April,” he told a conference organised by La Verita’.
Advocates of an earlier ballot argue that waiting until September 2027 risks leaving Italy without a fully empowered government during the crucial October budget session, when public finance targets are set. Giorgetti also addressed Italy’s standing with EU fiscal rules, saying Rome still had a chance this year to exit an infringement procedure over an excessive budget deficit after national statistics showed the 2025 shortfall at 3.1% of GDP, just above the EU’s 3% limit.
“The match isn’t over yet,” he said, noting the 2025 deficit could be revised down at a review scheduled for September, though he expressed doubts such a revision would materialise. Giorgetti added the government would not extend a cut in excise duty on fuels beyond its current July 3 deadline, citing recent falls in petrol and diesel prices that, he said, made the measure unnecessary. The temporary relief, introduced after February’s regional tensions and the related energy shock, has been repeatedly extended and scaled back since March.