Does the current account become a right of citizenship? Is the one that points the proposal of the Roman-Bagnai law, which recognizes everyone the right to have a current account. After passing today in the Chamber, with 254 yes and no no, the ball now passes to the Senate, with the proposal that is getting closer to becoming law.
What the bill is asking for
If it becomes law, the institutes will not be able to exempt themselves from the stipulation of a current account contract with anyone who requests it. Not only that: the bank will not be able to close the account even when the sales are in active. The only exceptions are the contrast of recycling and the financing of the terrorism: Only in these cases, in fact, the bank can hold back both in the case of activation of the account and in the event of closing.
The bill states:
The bank cannot withdraw from the fixed -term or indeterminate current account contract when the sales are active, except for the reasons referred to in the first paragraph.
Excluding the exceptions written before, the institution cannot therefore close the account before the expiry (if fixed -term) or absolutely, in the event that the contract does not have a term.
In a country like Italy that has 48 million current accounts, increasing according to the Fabi (Italian Banking Autonomous Federation) by 13% compared to 2019, the provision aims to respond to the needs of citizens who have seen close, “unilaterally and for no reason“, The current account report from its bank, despite the presence of active sales. This has forced many citizens, due to the interbank reports, to no longer be able to have their own supplies.
Government and oppositions rejoice
Having been voted by all political forces, both government and opposition celebrate the transition to the Chamber. Matteo Salvini He says in a tweet that the passage of the PDL “is a victory of the League”.
Even the Democratic Party, who voted in favor, speaks of “a piece” to be added to the right of citizenship. According to the exponent of the Democratic Party Toni Ricciardi It is reconstructed “the relationship of trust between the state and citizens who will no longer have to demonstrate that they are ‘purest among pure’ to have a right”.
The doubts of ABI and Bankitalia
During the parliamentary process, Bank of Italy and ABI (Italian Banking Association) had expressed reservations about the imposition by law of a generalized obligation that, they observed, could limit the contractual freedom of credit institutions.
The Banking Association had explained that providing for the obligation to open a current account “evokes a publicity or para-publicistic function of banking”, in contrast with article 10 of the Consolidated Banking text that instead establishes the company’s character of banking. Bankitalia had instead attracted attention
On the compatibility profiles of the proposal with some principles of the European and constitutional system, on its possible effects in terms of solidity and stability of the financial system and on the interaction with the current anti -money laundering legislation.
Codacons: “Well, but be careful of management costs”
Positive comments also by the Codacons:
The current economic situation, including digital payments, new technologies and home banking, strongly limits those who do not have an open account today at a credit institution, generating disparity of treatment among citizens. The prohibition for banks to withdraw from current account contracts when the balance is in surplus is equally important.
But the Codacons invites to the utmost attention about the costs applied by the banks to the account holders: today the management costs of a current account are at an average of 100.7 euros per customer, but the new obligations for credit institutions could lead to increases and balzelli to the detriment of citizens.
