Italian Prime Minister Says Austerity Policy Should Stop

Italian Prime Minister Says Austerity Policy Should Stop

Italy cannot keep implementing the austerity policy, it wants to discuss its budget with Brussels "without prejudices," Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Tuesday ahead of the EU summit

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th October, 2018) Italy cannot keep implementing the austerity policy, it wants to discuss its budget with Brussels "without prejudices," Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Tuesday ahead of the EU summit.

On Monday, Italy submitted its draft budget to the European Union. However, the target deficit of 2.4 percent of GDP for 2019 is an increase on a previously agreed 1.8 percent.

"Italy's a founding EU member and a net contributor. On the strength of this position, we go to Brussels with a budget that we are proud of and that we want to discuss without prejudices ... Austerity is a path that can no longer be taken," Conte told the Italian Senate, as quoted by the ANSA news agency.

The prime minister stressed that it was of major importance to Italy to catch up to the rest of the European Union in terms of growth.