ROME - Maurizio Gasparri, Senate leader of Forza Italia, has called for a reconsideration on a potential plan to further elevate bank taxes in an interview with Affaritaliani.it.

 In yet another move against his coalition partners Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini, Gasparri passionately and directly proposed Elon Musk and other untaxed tech 'banditi' as the correct source for government income.

 Standing firmly against new policies for current payers, Gasparri articulated that a proposed levy on the superprofits of banks, who already pay supplementary taxes, is not the way forward.

 This comes after Meloni gratefully accepted the Global Citizen Award from Musk at the Atlantic Council Gala on September 23rd, praising him as a 'precious genius'. Musk, equally as reverent of Meloni, in turn commended the Italian PM as 'someone who is even more beautiful inside than outside'. Salvini, head of alliance party La Lega, has also hailed the SpaceX, Tesla and X entrepeneur as a 'genius innovator'.

 But for Gasparri, the personal liking that Meloni and Salvini have taken to Musk should not get in the way of Italy's financial plan, especially now that 2025's National Budget is in its stages of conception. In the interview he articulated the 'great shame' it is that companies such as Amazon, or Zuckerberg's Meta, get away tax-free, calling for all world leaders to review its policy on media giants. 

 If the government really want to take more from banks, Gasparri suggested, then a more thorough application of the current policies in place could bring in some more money. But otherwise, it is a hard 'no' when it comes to the question of raising current levels.

 Instead, he called for the government to consider who it's letting slip through the net; to acknowledge the untapped source of tech billionaires.

 As the National Budget looms, Gasparri's outcry indicates growing tensions in Meloni's centre-right alliance. 

 dabj