The Senate Speaker's council on
Tuesday approved a deliberation on cutting 'vitalizi'
parliamentary pensions, parliamentary sources said.
The Lower House approved a similar measure two months ago.
There have been many appeals against the House's measure,
with MPs arguing that it is unconstitutional.
Senators from the centre-left opposition Democratic Party
(PD) and the centre-right opposition Forza Italia (FI) party
left the chamber when the vote as being held.
Cutting vitalizi, which can be accrued even after very short
parliamentary terms, was one of the campaign pledges of the
anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S).
M5S leader Luigi Di Maio, the deputy premier and labour and
industry minister, said on Instagram "said and done, promise
kept, bye bye vitalizi also for the ex-Senators. This privilege
will no longer exist for anyone. Viva!"
M5S Senators celebrated outside the Senate carrying a double
banner emblazoned with "56 million euros saved" and #byebye
vitalizi".
They also carried M5S banners and yellow balloons, that being
their party colour.
The M5S's minister for relations with parliament, Riccardo
Fraccaro, said "parliament has recovered its dignity".
Di Maio added that the Italian regional governments should
also cut their vitalizi, or see their funding stopped.
Premier Giuseppe Conte said that the measure was one of
"social equity and good politics".
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