FILE PHOTO: Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini speaks during a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Milan, Italy, August 28, 2018. REUTERS/Massimo Pinca
September 3, 2018
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s 2019 deficit will come close to 3 percent of its gross domestic product without breaching the limit set by the European Union, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini told Radio 24 on Monday.
After Fitch revised to negative the outlook on Italy’s sovereign debt rating on Friday, the government has sent conflicting messages over what it will do in next year’s budget, which must drafted over the next two months.
Salvini said that while he wanted to the deficit to come “close to” the EU 3 percent of GDP limit, “I want to stay under that limit imposed by Europe”.
(Reporting by Steve Scherer, writing by Francesca Landini)
