Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
ROME / POLITICS – A heated exchange has erupted between the Government and the leadership of Italy’s banking system. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini intervened with harsh tones to respond to statements by the president of ABI (Italian Banking Association), Antonio Patuelli, who in a recent position had invoked the principles of the Constitution to criticize the prospect of new fiscal measures on credit institutions, lamenting excessive economic pressure on banks.
Salvini lays out the figures: “€50bn in profits and lower taxes”
The Lega leader firmly rejected ABI’s arguments, citing balance-sheet figures and the performance of the credit sector in recent years:
“Surprising are the words of ABI president Antonio Patuelli, who even invokes the Constitution to complain that bankers are being economically ‘beaten up’. The numbers, good for them, tell the exact opposite: €25.5bn in profits in 2022, €40.6bn in 2023, €46.5bn in 2024 and €47.5bn in 2025. And this year profits of over €50bn are forecast,” Salvini declares.
The minister also highlighted disparities in tax burden and the progressive reduction of banks’ territorial presence:
- Reduced tax pressure: Salvini points out that in 2025 the effective tax rate for banks was 19.2%, a rate significantly lower than that borne by the average of other Italian businesses.
- Branch and staff cuts: Between 2022 and 2025 the banking system closed 2,510 branches nationwide and reduced staff by 12,900 employees.
“€5bn contribution is an act of common sense”
In his attack, the deputy prime minister reiterates that the enormous profit reserves stem directly from interest margins and fees charged to households and small and medium-sized enterprises.
“Gigantic profits that come mainly from the interest and fees paid by citizens, families and businesses. Asking for a contribution of at least €5bn from one of the richest and most protected sectors in Italy will be an intervention of absolute common sense,” Matteo Salvini concludes.
