Italy's sovereign debt
ratings were downgraded in 2011 in order to bring down the
government of Silvio Berlusconi and usher in the technocrat
government of Mario Monti, Elio Lannutti, president of consumer
association Adusbef, said Thursday.
The former centre-left Senator was speaking at the trial of
five managers and analysts from United States-based rating
agency Standard & Poor's on charges of deliberately misleading
financial markets with reports on Italy.
The reports in question were issued by the ratings agency
between May 2011 and January 2012, at the height of the eurozone
debt crisis when Italy looked to be in danger of a Greek-style
financial meltdown.
Berlusconi resigned as premier in November 2011 and was
replaced by Monti at the head of a new unity government in order
to implement EU-requested austerity measures and reform.
Adusbef is a civil plaintiff in the case.
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