Parliamentary hearings scrutinize Italy's public finance plan ahead of 2027 budget

In a series of hearings before the joint Budget commissions, the Draft Public Finance Document for 2026-2029 was evaluated by the Court of Auditors, the parliamentary budget office and Istat. Cnel president Renato Brunetta stressed that without growth the public accounts cannot be sustainable, and pointed to a better-than-expected growth outlook in the DPFP. Istat presented simulations showing that higher energy prices could shave up to 0.2 percentage points from GDP in 2027 and 0.4 points in 2028, while defence spending would rise modestly.

The Court of Auditors noted a decline in the net debt ratio but warned that interest-payment costs are rising sharply, and criticized the DPFP for its vague sectoral spending plans and lack of quantified fiscal effects of upcoming measures. It urged the government to focus on precise, high-productivity investments and to protect vulnerable households from energy-related cost pressures.