Italy’s Deputy PM Di Maio: EU election will shake up politics, help Italy

Reuters reports Sunday’s comments by the Italian Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the 5-Star movement party Luigi Di Maio, with the key headlines found below.

Rome and Brussels could avoid a collision, predicting that the Commission would take a different approach after May’s elections which might boost anti-austerity parties.

“...citizens will vote in the European elections and will cause a big shake up,”

“We are ready to discuss things around a table, but they cannot ask us to massacre Italians.”

Government was willing to sell real estate assets, reduce waste and introduce safeguard clauses to ensure the deficit will not exceed the target of 2.4 percent of output in 2019. But he said: “The main reforms of the budget must remain in place”.