Rome Ready to Stop EU-wide Banking Reform If More Flexible Fiscal Rules Aren’t Adopted – Sources
By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy’s rightist government is ready to block key European Union banking reforms if more flexible EU budget rules aren’t adopted in January, according to ruling coalition sources. Italy’s government wants clearer commitments from its EU partners to ease strict fiscal requirements under the Stability and Growth Pact or it […]
Italy’s Rightist Government Aims to Soften EU Fiscal Rules, Sees ‘Reinforced Supervision’ Unacceptable – Sources
By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy’s newly appointed rightist government will seek to negotiate softer fiscal rules at the European level to take into account ‘country-specifics’ for more lenient and longer adjustment paths, according to ruling coalition sources. Officials are worried that the new rules concerning the reform of the Stability and Growth pact […]
Germany’s Business Conditions Worsened Slightly in June, Ifo Reports
ZURICH (MaceNews) – German businesses were a bit more pessimistic in June than a month ago, as their view of both current conditions and their expectations for future developments were judged more negatively. The Ifo business climate index fell to 92.3 in June from 93.0 the previous month. Economists had expected a slight drop to […]
Italy Backs ‘Gradual, Flexible’ Monetary Policy Normalization, Urges ECB to Avoid ‘Hawkish’ Message – Italian Government Sources
By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy is warning against a sudden unwinding of Eurozone monetary policy accommodation and calling for a ‘gradual’ but ‘flexible’ normalization process, according to ruling coalition sources. “It is a very delicate moment for the European Central Bank, and it is paramount to avoid having to exit and then re-enter […]
Rome Pushes for New EU Recovery Fund to Tackle Energy Prices Spike, Avoid Spreads Further Blowing Out – Sources
–Italian officials express relief over ECB moves to limit spread widening By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy’s ruling coalition is pushing hard for the European Union to launch a new recovery fund aimed at jointly funding measures to cushion the impact of energy and inflation spikes on families and firms, in an attempt to […]
EU Likely to Clear Soon Russian Oil Boycott; Rome Now Pressing for Ban on Russian Gas – Italian Coalition Sources
By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy expects Hungary to accept a European Union plan to ban Russian oil by the end of the week, and Rome is pressing for an EU-wide ban on all Russian fossil fuels including gas, according to Italian ruling coalition sources. “There has been a delay in the approval of […]
G7 Leaders Pledge Continued Actions Vs Russia
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Leaders of the G-7 countries, including President Joe Biden, Sunday met with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky by video hookup, afterwards issuing a long statement pledging continued widespread sanctions and other actions, like phasing out Russia energy supplies, to support the war effort. The statement follows: G7 Leaders’ Statement Today, on 8 May, […]
Rome Coalition Sources Warn of Fallout from Possible Le Pen Victory for EU, NATO, Italy
Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – A potential victory in France of far-right presidential candidate Marie Le Pen would jeopardize prosperous Italy-France ties and boost Italy’s own far-right populists, warned Italian coalition sources. By extension, a Le Pen victory would weaken the European Union‘s integration process and NATO unity in opposing Russian President Vladimir Putin. The […]
Italy Raises Pressure on EU To Cap Gas Import Prices, Ready to Adopt National Measures If EU Deal Is Delayed – Sources
By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Rome’s government is raising pressure on European Union institutions to place a EU-wide cap on imported gas prices to shield families and business from an extraordinary spike in energy bills that is weakening the bloc’s economy, according to ruling coalition sources. The proposal faces opposition from Germany and Holland. […]
US Nat’l Security Adviser Sullivan: Pres Biden to Consult w/Allies on Potential Russia Use of Nukes
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan Tuesday answered a reporter’s question about Russia’s use of possibly smaller nuclear weapons in Ukraine: by saying President Biden will this week, in his visit to Brussels, be consulting with allies on ‘that potential contingency.” Sullivan’s verbatim response follows: “President Putin, in the early days of […]