Overview

• The Chamber of Deputies approved the proposal and sent it to the Senate for review.
• The measure is sponsored by Noi Moderati and the governing Fratelli d'Italia, which gives it momentum in parliament.
• The holiday would reinstate a feast day scrapped in 1977 during austerity measures.
• Analysts estimate roughly €10.6 million in annual public overtime costs, with the first practical effect expected in 2027 because Oct. 4, 2026 falls on a Sunday.
• Some lawmakers floated alternatives, including Dieter Steger’s push for a March 19 Saint Joseph holiday, but the current text advances the Saint Francis date.