Rome, Aug 10. (LaPresse) – "Two faces of our country: on one hand, citizens tightening their belts as prices skyrocket, on the other, record profits for banks. With unbearable beach price hikes and the loss of purchasing power, beach attendance has dropped by 15%. Meloni is too busy playing the victim against judges and the 'left' to offer solutions. Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Santanchè is too focused on avoiding legal troubles to worry about Italians who can't afford a vacation. Meanwhile, while nothing is being done about the cost of living and wages, profits for the top eight Italian banks are at record levels: €15.5 billion, +13.5% compared to last year." This is how M5S President Giuseppe Conte comments on a Sole 24 Ore article about the growth of bank profits. "Not a single euro tax on the banks' billionaire excess profits, and this mountain of money doesn't go to families and businesses, but finances the 'banking risk' game, a financial battle where banks eat each other to become bigger and reward shareholders more," he adds. "The Government has clearly decided to fully engage in this game. Citizens and struggling businesses seem to matter little at Palazzo Chigi."