The morning broke with reports of General Igor Kirillov's assassination in Moscow via a scooter bomb, with Kiev later claiming responsibility. Kirillov, head of Russia's nuclear, chemical and biological defense forces, had previously coordinated Russian medical missions to Italy during COVID-19.
In Parliament, Meloni addressed the EU Council, claiming diplomatic success with Fitto's portfolio management while dismissing opposition criticism with references to "voodoo and macumbe." The government withdrew its controversial proposal to increase ministers' salaries, limiting it to travel reimbursements - a retreat following public backlash from previous days.
The evening brought anxiety over a suspected hemorrhagic fever case in Treviso from a Congo returnee, later confirmed as severe malaria. The budget law's final approval was pushed past Christmas, with new provisions for pension flexibility and infrastructure funding.
