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Italy’s Ruling Party Pushes Reworded Claim Over Bank of Italy Gold as Budget Amendment Advances

EU safeguards on central‑bank independence make the move largely symbolic.

Overview

  • The Budget Committee deemed the amendment admissible, setting up a chamber debate in the coming weeks.
  • Senator Lucio Malan rephrased the text from asserting state ownership to stating the gold "belongs to the Italian People" after Treasury technicians flagged expropriatory risks.
  • The ECB was not consulted, and its 2019 guidance says ownership declarations do not allow governments to use central‑bank gold for fiscal or economic policy.
  • The Bank of Italy holds 2,452 tonnes of gold valued at roughly €200 billion, managed within the Eurosystem framework.
  • Majority figures publicly defend the principle, though some reporting indicates the measure could be dropped to avoid a clash with Brussels, with the discussion unfolding alongside modest ISTAT growth and low inflation data.