Italy's Pnrr decree vote postponed to Monday over Intercity tender dispute with EU, risking up to €3 billion

The dispute

The Italian government’s Pnrr infrastructure decree stalled in the Chamber of Deputies over a clash with Brussels on the tender for Intercity rail services. The decree, which must be converted into law by 25 August, originally required the contract to be split into multiple lots to foster competition, in line with EU rail liberalisation. Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, however, inserted a clause stating that the service “may be divided into one or more lots,” effectively allowing a single national lot. The tender, covering Intercity connections from 2027 to 2041, is worth approximately €3 billion and should have been issued by 30 June 2026.

The government, taking into account the positions expressed by the trade unions and by Parliament unanimously, has allowed the awarding of the service also through a single national lot.

Union pressure and Salvini’s intervention

Trade unions Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Ugl Ferrovieri, Fast Confsal and Orsa Trasporti had fiercely opposed the multi-lot approach, warning it could degrade service quality and trigger contractual dumping. They threatened a strike and demanded a single-lot tender. Salvini called their request “condivisibile” (shareable), and the Ministry of Infrastructure adopted the change. After a meeting chaired by Vice Minister Edoardo Rixi, the unions suspended their protest, reassured that the government was exploring a single-lot solution with Brussels.

EU pushback and government retreat

The European Commission insisted on multiple lots as a condition for releasing the tenth instalment of Pnrr funds. According to la Repubblica, the EU was prepared to cut €2 billion from that payment. Faced with that risk, Palazzo Chigi stepped in. The Department for European Affairs reassured Commission technicians that Italy would honour the original commitments. La Stampa reported that the government had already decided to backtrack on the single lot, and Open confirmed that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni personally intervened to salvage the situation. The contested amendment is now being rewritten to align with EU demands.

Parliamentary calendar and next steps

The standoff paralysed the Chamber. On 29 July, rapporteur Rebecca Frassini (Lega) cited “important interlocutions” with the EU as the reason for repeated delays. The conference of group leaders then postponed the vote to Monday, 3 August, at 14:00, with a final vote expected on Tuesday, 4 August. The decree must then pass the Senate before the summer recess and be converted by 25 August. The missed 30 June deadline for the Intercity tender adds further urgency.

Opposition reaction

Opposition lawmakers seized on the chaos. Marco Grimaldi of the Green and Left Alliance (Avs) said the postponement showed the government is in a state of confusion.

Piero De Luca of the Democratic Party accused the executive of being bogged down on the Pnrr and warned that Italy risked losing €24 billion due to missed targets, adding that some objectives “will almost certainly be missed.”

We are bogged down on the Pnrr. Some objectives will almost certainly be missed.

The government has not publicly commented on that broader figure.