General strike halts trains and schools
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A general strike has reached the railways, schools, and hospitals today. The unions are out and the services are largely stationary, leaving the government to manage the fallout of a day without its usual infrastructure.
Giorgia Meloni is reportedly asking the European Union for "double flexibility" on the national budget, citing the weight of inflation and higher tax revenues. The Prime Minister is finding the domestic math equally difficult; she and her deputy, Matteo Salvini, are currently at odds over an €8bn defense spending plan. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, meanwhile, has suggested the country should build bunkers faster.
While the cabinet debates the cost of rearmament, households are looking at their own figures. Energy costs remain high enough that condominium bills are forecast to rise by 40%. In a more unexpected move for a postal service, Poste Italiane has purchased another 1% stake in the telecommunications firm Tim.