Italy’s Local Elections Raise Coalition Tensions, Risk Delaying Reforms – Sources

By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy’s upcoming local elections are bound to fuel tensions between government parties with the risk of delaying key reforms needed to kickstart the recovery, ruling coalition officials warned. “The League, the Democrats and the 5 Stars are bickering on a daily basis in an attempt to boost their popularity […]

Italy to Push for a Stronger EU Defense; Afghan Crisis Will Have Repercussions – Sources

By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy will push for a stronger, more coordinated European defense policy and the creation of ‘emergency’ intervention units to tackle geopolitical crises, according to ruling coalition sources. “The U.S.’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the way in which the entire NATO mission has failed to deliver a stable country, is […]

Italy To Push For ‘Permanent’ Pro-Growth Eurobonds, Common EU budget – Sources

By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews)  – Italy will push for the creation of a ‘permanent’ European-wide debt tool scheme to support growth in a post-COVID world alongside a common EU budget, according to ruling coalition sources.  “The eurobond issuance program adopted in the wake of the pandemic cannot be a one-off measure which will expire […]

Italy Govt To Extend Loans Freeze, State-Backed Guarantees – Sources

By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy’s government is expected to extend key pandemic state-backed guarantees for private investments and a loans payment moratorium by Friday, according to ruling coalition sources. Both measures, set-up in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis to help struggling firms’ and families access credit, are to due to expire in […]

Italy to Push for Overhaul of EU Fiscal Rules, Investments Exempted from Deficit – Sources

By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Rome will push for a revision of tight European fiscal rules to take into account a post-COVID economy, allowing member states to run higher pro-growth deficits net of strategic investments without running into sanctions, according to Italian ruling coalition sources.  “There’s growing consensus in Europe on the need to […]