About: Italy
Italy’s revised budget ‘did not dispel concerns’, Eurogroup president says
Italy’s slightly modified budget might not get the green light from the European Commission, the president of the Eurogroup, Mario Centeno, told the Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on Tuesday (20 November), raising the likelihood of an excessive deficit...
Eurozone budget to be ready by 2021 say France and Germany
France and Germany's finance ministers on Monday (19 November) presented their proposal on establishing a eurozone budget by 2021, describing it as a "major political breakthrough".
Italy sticks to its guns in revised budget submitted to EU
Italy defied Brussels again on Tuesday (13 November) as Finance Minister Giovanni Tria presented only a slightly modified draft budget, despite the European Commission rejecting the previous spending plan in an unprecedented decision.
No compromise on EU budget rules, Moscovici warns Italy
The EU’s Economics chief Pierre Moscovici insisted on Thursday (8 November) that there was little room for Brussels to compromise with the Italian government over its budget plans as he unveiled the European Commission's latest economic forecasts.
European conservatives open door for Italy’s far-right
Fratelli d'Italia (FDI) leader Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday (6 November) met with the leadership of the Group of European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) in the European Parliament to discuss a possible alliance after the 2019 European elections.
EU’s troublemakers find comfort in Chinese arms
Cornered by their EU partners, Italy, Hungary and the UK were welcomed with open arms by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his landmark trade event held in Shanghai this week, where around 3,000 companies from more than 130 countries are taking part in the first China International Import Expo (CIIE).
Eurozone ministers urge inflexible Italy to drop budget defiance
Eurozone finance ministers urged Italy on Monday (5 November) to reverse course on its rule-breaking budget amid fears of market turmoil and a return of the debt crisis.
‘Total disaster’ as Italy storms kill at least 30
Floods killed 12 people on the island of Sicily, including nine members of a single family, pushing Italy’s week-long storm toll beyond 30, rescuers said Sunday (4 November). After a river burst its banks, the bodies of the family including...
Conte tells Italian rebel village he is unable to stop TAP pipeline
In an open letter of the to a rebel municipality where the TAP pipeline is expected to come on shore, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte explains at length why he cannot stop the project.
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.
French people barely comforted by positive economic conditions
France tends to develop in the opposite direction to the rest of the eurozone and the economic lights are now on green. However, French morale tells a very different story and the international situation raises concerns among economic forecasters. EURACTIV France reports.
Draghi ‘confident’ about a deal on Italian budget
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi expressed his confidence on Thursday (25 October) about the likelihood of an agreement between the European Commission and the Italian government over Rome's spending plan for next year.
Italian budget standoff may consign eurozone integration drive to slow lane
An uncompromising challenge to EU budget rules by Italy is providing the first big test for reforms introduced to save the euro zone nine years ago as financial crisis threatened to tear it apart.
Commission rejects Italian draft budget in unprecedented decision
The European Commission rejected Italy’s 2019 budget in an unprecedented decision on Tuesday (23 October), after the government in Rome failed to give a substantial response to the executive's allegations of a breach of the EU law.
Italy and Brussels meet head-on over budgetary dispute
The European Commission prepares to reject Italy's budget on Tuesday (23 October) due to an “unprecedented” breach of EU fiscal rules. But Rome sticks to its guns and presented the breach as a “difficult but necessary decision” taken by the government.
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’s prime minister insists no room to change ‘beautiful’ budget
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has attempted to open a dialogue with the European Commission in an attempt to calm things down over Italy’s “unprecedented” breach of fiscal rules, but has also warned that there will be no step back on the draft budgetary plans.
Italy’s ‘unprecedented’ breach of fiscal rules clouds euro summit
Euro-area leaders agreed on Thursday (18 October) to accelerate the work to bolster the monetary union as the European Commission questioned half a dozen member states’ efforts to balance their public accounts, particularly Italy.
Salvini ‘at home’ in Moscow, denounces EU sanctions on Russia
Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini denounced the "madness" of western sanctions against Russia, during a trip to Moscow Wednesday (17 October), and launched a fierce attack on the European Union.
Juncker: If we accept the Italian budget, ‘countries would insult us’
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told Italian media on Tuesday (16 October) that he could not accept the extra spending budgeted by the Italian government because other member states would “insult” the institution.
Salvini removes migrants from a model village for integration
In Riace, a Calabrian village which is a model for integration, Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini is attacking the mayor and wants to remove the migrants. EURACTIV France’s media partner Ouest-France reports.
Italy resists EU push to impose sanctions over cyberattacks
Italy is resisting a European Union push to impose sanctions on states who carry out cyberattacks, a move that appears in line with Rome’s calls to de-escalate tensions with Russia but that could alienate Italy from its EU allies.
Europe’s black politicians stand by Kyenge in Salvini race trial
Black politicians and community leaders from across Europe have backed Italian MEP Cécile Kyenge, who faces a controversial defamation trial brought by Matteo Salvini, the far-right leader of the League party, for calling his party racist.