Berlusconi Vows To Refund Italians $5.5 Billion From Unpopular Tax

 As part of his campaign ahead of the February 24-25 elections, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Sunday pledged to return Italians some four billion euros ($5.5 billion) in property tax payments made last year, claiming that the unpopular tax, implemented by the Monti government, was “an erroneous decision by the state,” which “caused Italian families worry, anxiety, fear of the future.”

 As part of his campaign ahead of the February 24-25 elections, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Sunday pledged to return Italians some four billion euros ($5.5 billion) in property tax payments made last year, claiming that the unpopular tax, implemented by the Monti government, was “an erroneous decision by the state,” which “caused Italian families worry, anxiety, fear of the future.”

Berlusconi, who has had three past tenures as the nation’s leader, highlighted that the next government needed a “symbolic but very concrete act“ to restore the faith of Italians in the state; promising that he would order the refund if he becomes “economy minister” in a government led by his protégé Angelino Alfano.

“One should never touch the primary residence, which is the pillar on which families build,” said Berlusconi, directing his statements towards outgoing PM Mario Monti.

[quote]”I want to help Italy get out of this dark atmosphere the technical tax men have put it in, and in which the tax men of the left will leave it mired,” he added, as cited by Reuters.[/quote]

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With just three weeks to go before the country goes to the polls, the 76-year-old media mogul minister described the current campaign as his “last great electoral and political battle”.

During a fiery speech, given to a rally in Milan, the flamboyant politician also constantly repeated topical words such as “tax” “taxpayer” and “tax man”, along with ongoing references to “the anxiety of families”.

The centre-right populist also insisted that any potential revenue lost could be recouped by eliminating state financing for political parties, raising taxes on non-essential goods like cigarettes and lottery tickets, taxing Italians’ financial instruments’ income in Switzerland, and cutting the number of public legislators by half.

The speech was met with stinging criticism from Berlusconi’s opponents who accused him of promoting “dangerous electoral propaganda.”

Pier Ferdinando Casini, head of the Union of Christian Democrats (UDC) and a former Berlusconi ally, said that the former premier was “a great salesman [who] would be capable of selling anyone a car without a motor,” while one candidate running for Monti’s centrist group called the speech tantamount to “vote-buying.”

[quote]“He’s magnificent,” added Mario Monti sarcastically. “Berlusconi governed for so many years and maintained none of his promises… Italians have good memories, I believe,” he added.[/quote]

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But opinion polls still have seen Berlusconi’s rightwing coalition gaining ground on their rivals. At the start of the election campaign, Berlusconi trailed far behind his main centre-left opponent – Pierluigi Bersani, leader of the left-wing Democrats. The gap though has been narrowed to just five percentage points, with Monti’s own centrist group trailing in fourth behind the Five Star Movement party, led by comedian-turned-politician Beppe Grillo.