Italy's Treasury Braces for Demands As Meloni Prepares Fifth Budget

Italy's Treasury is bracing for a wave of demands as the Meloni government prepares its fifth budget, widely seen as an election-year maneuver. Officials are floating a mega-finance package worth 30-40 billion euros, potentially lowering the pension age to 64 and funding tax cuts for families. The so-called safeguard clause is being eyed to free up deficit space using already-committed spending. While officially denied, the talk dominates parliamentary corridors, with the Treasury concerned about the avalanche of requests, from IRPEF tax cuts to family support.