About: 5-Star Movement
Italy’s Di Maio warns against party divisions after TAP pipeline U-turn
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio called on Monday (29 October) for unity within his 5-Star Movement after the anti-establishment party was forced to renege on an electoral pledge to halt a major, international gas transport project.
Italian populist government braces for EU budget rejection
The Italian government expects the European Commission to decide for the first time ever on Tuesday (23 October) to ask a member state to revise its draft budget, a government source said on Sunday.
Italy dismisses concern the EU will reject its budget plan
The Italian government on Thursday (4 October) dismissed concerns that the European Commission would reject its plan to raise deficit spending next year and signalled that it would not backtrack, even under market pressure.
Juncker raps Italy for putting euro at risk, Di Maio denounces fiscal ‘terrorism’
A war of words took place days after Rome announced a big spending boost in defiance of the European Union that has spooked the markets and has EU capitals fearing a return of the debt crisis.
Weakened Italian socialists try to bounce back
Tens of thousands of Italians rallied in Rome Sunday (30 September) for the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) as it seeks to rebound from a shock defeat to a populist coalition in June.
Italy defies Brussels with budget deficit at 2.4%
Italy's government on Thursday (27 September) targeted the budget deficit at 2.4% of gross domestic product for the next three years, defying Brussels and marking a victory for party chiefs over economy minister Giovanni Tria, an unaffiliated technocrat.
‘Fake News Foa’: Italy’s state broadcaster appoints chair with chequered past
The Italian state broadcaster, Rai, has appointed a Eurosceptic journalist with a history of publicising fake news as its new president.
Italy’s Di Maio threatens to punish unfriendly newspapers
Luigi Di Maio, a key figure in Italy's populist government, has taken aim at the country's newspapers, accusing them of "polluting the debate" and threatening to pull advertising by state-owned companies.
Italy on collision course with EU over budget deficit
Party leaders in the Italian coalition government signalled they will seek leeway from the EU to increase next year's budget deficit, heading on a collision course with the European Commission and investors who want it cut.
Oettinger warns Italy not to block EU budget talks
It is in no one's interest to hold up budget negotiations at the European Union, the bloc's budget chief warned Tuesday (28 August) after Italy threatened a blockade over the migrant issue.
Salvini and Orbán launch anti-immigration manifesto ahead of EU elections
Hungary’s illiberal Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Italy's hardline Interior Minister Matteo Salvini launched Tuesday (28 August) an anti-migration manifesto aiming at next year's European parliament elections, targeting a common enemy.
Italy threatens to veto EU’s long-term budget over migration crisis
Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio on Monday (27 August) threatened to veto the European Union's seven-year budget plan should the bloc not do more to share the burden of migrant arrivals.
‘EU is filth’, Salvini lashes out as tensions between Rome and Brussels grow
Although the 150 migrants stranded on the Diciotti rescue ship were able to disembark on Sunday (26 August), Italy’s firebrand Interior Minister Matteo Salvini engaged in another vilification of the EU, calling it “filth” and reiterating threats to stop EU funding.
Commission hardens the tone with Italy, says will not bow to threats
The European Commission said on Friday (24 August) it will not bow to threats such as those made by Italian deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio, who warned his country could stop paying into the EU budget unless other member states agreed to take in migrants held on a coastguard ship in Sicily.
Italy to suspend EU funding unless others take in migrants
The European Commission has called a meeting today (25 August) after Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said his party would vote to suspend funding to the EU unless other member states agreed to take in migrants being held on a coastguard ship in Sicily.
UN says migrants’ return to Libya by Italian boat could be illegal
A rescue operation in which an Italian towboat rescued more than 100 migrants and returned them to Libya earlier this week may have been in breach of international law, the United Nations said on Tuesday (31 July).
Trump and Conte cement populist front
US President Donald Trump traded smiles, handshakes and compliments with Italy's populist leader Giuseppe Conte Monday (30 July), as the two rightists presented a united front on everything from Russia to immigration.
Italy calls into question costly Lyon-Turin rail link
Italy's new infrastructure minister denounced on Tuesday (24 July) an ambitious, transalpine rail link as an enormous waste of public money and said he wanted to re-negotiate the project with neighbouring France.
Eurosceptic minister: Italy needs to be ready for ‘all eventualities’ on euro
European Affairs Minister Paolo Savona said yesterday (10 July) that Italy had to be ready for "all eventualities" regarding its membership of the eurozone, which might depend on factors outside its control.
Macron warns of populism ‘leprosy’, Italy hits back
French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday (21 June) populism was spreading across Europe like a disease that Europeans should fight more vigorously instead of criticising the actions of pro-European governments like his.
New Italian economy minister vows to stay in euro, cut debt level
Italy's new coalition government has no intention of leaving the euro and plans to focus on cutting debt levels, Economy Minister Giovanni Tria said on Sunday (10 June), looking to reassure nervous financial markets.
New Italian minister calls the TAP pipeline ‘pointless’
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte comfortably won a confidence vote in the lower house of parliament yesterday (6 June), but divisions inside his coalition put at risk a major gas pipeline project, seen by Brussels as a cornerstone of EU’s energy security.
Italian populist cabinet faces vote of confidence in parliament
Italy's coalition between the anti-system 5-Star Movement and the fat-right Northern League will test its power today (5 June) in the first of this week's two parliamentary confidence votes in the new government.