Senate approves vitalizi cut

(ANSA) - Rome, October 16 - 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.