Italy’s Draghi Faces Risky Senate Vote as 5 Stars Threaten to Ditch Ruling Coalition
By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy’s premier Mario Draghi faces a risky Senate vote this week as his ally, the 5 Stars Movement, threatens to withdraw government support over key economic measures, according to ruling coalition sources. As tensions between Draghi and the former premier, 5 Stars party leader Giuseppe Conte, are mounting, 5 […]
Japan Conservative Ruling Bloc Raises Majority in Upper House Poll
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s ruling conservative coalition increased its majority in Upper House elections on Sunday, public broadcaster NHK and other news media reported based on their exit polls and ongoing vote-counting, an outcome that would allow Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to focus on his longer-term projects to narrow the income gap and […]
Analysis: After Abe’s Death, PM Kishida Still Has to Show How His New Capitalism Works for Japan
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – After Friday’s assassination of Shinzo Abe, architect of the reflationary economic policy mix dubbed Abenomics, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has yet to show whether his “new capitalism” is a better alternative in revitalizing Japan. During the ruling party leadership election campaign last year, Kishida floated the idea of shifting from […]
Draghi: Italy Supports Ukraine, ‘No Ambiguity’ From EU Countries but Common Stance Needed 
By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy’s government stands united in supporting Ukraine against Moscow and all European Union member states must show unity on this front as ‘unclear messages’ are not acceptable, Italian premier Mario Draghi told the Senate on Tuesday. Speaking ahead of the key June 23-24 European Council meeting on the Ukraine […]
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 […]
<strong>BOI Cuts Italy ’22-’23 Growth on Ukraine Effects But Sees Recovery Signals As Investment Set To Rise</strong>
By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – The Bank of Italy on Friday cut country growth forecasts for 2022-2023 on fallout from the war in Ukraine and energy price hikes, but sees ‘robust’ signs of recovery as government aid to struggling families and European Union-wide pandemic investments start to bear fruit. GDP growth is now projected […]
Italy Aims to Introduce Worker Minimum Wage as EU Moves toward EU-Wide Directive – Sources
By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy’s parliament is working on a deal to clear as soon as possible a law introducing a minimum wage for all workers following a push by the European Union to implement a minimum wage framework to be applied in all 27 member states, according to ruling coalition sources. “Parties […]
<strong>UK Premier Boris Johnson Scrapes Through in Confidence Vote</strong>
By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a parliamentary confidence vote on Monday night, but the scale of his victory raises questions over his authority through the remainder of the parliamentary session. Members of the premier’s Conservative Party voted by a margin of 211 to 148 to affirm Johnson’s position, allowing […]
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to Face Vote of Confidence Monday
–PM needs the support of 180 party lawmakers to remain in office By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – Embattled UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a snap vote of confidence in the UK parliament Monday evening, putting his controversial premiership at risk. The announcement came after at least 54 members – or 15% — of […]
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 […]