Premier Matteo Renzi said on the
anti-ISIS fight Tuesday that "Italy does not have a
prejudicially hostile position against interventions even of a
military nature or stronger diplomatic ones but it only asks
that what happened in Libya is not done: an intervention without
strategy whose consequences you pay".
He added that ISIS had been "rooted" in the Libyan city of
Sirte for months according to intelligence and there was "no
news" on that front.
Renzi replied to a question on the possibility of
international military action in Libya by saying that "it is not
an issue on the agenda, at least for the moment".
Renzi said that "none of us has any preclusion against
former premiers" including Romano Prodi as a possible future
envoy on Libya but stressed that the UN does not usually choose
envoys from countries with a colonial history towards the
country involved.
Renzi said that "Italy's real response to terrorism is that
you can't be restricted to a security response: we shall not
spare efforts to ensure Carabinieri are paid better, there are
more cutting-edge resources, more intelligence and cyber
security.
"But terrorism is a huge crisis that will last years; you
give the response by upholding the values you have in your DNA.
"We have centuries of history we have no intention of
renouncing", said the premier.
Renzi said Italy's foreign policy was dictated by wisdom
rather than prudence.
"Italy has one of the world's highest numbers of women
and men engaged in contingents...It's not that one intervention
more or less marks our rate of participation in the
international coalition.
"Newspapers change every 24 hours, not foreign policy.
Foreign policy mustn't be left to emotions, continuity and
awareness are needed. Ours is not prudence but wisdom and I'm
proud of it," he said.
As part of the response to the November 13 Paris attacks
Renzi has announced one billion euros in spending on culture
matching one billion for security.
On Tuesday he said a 500-euro bonus for those who turn 18
next year was for "the theatre, concerts, museums, shows, live
entertainment, an incentive for 18-year-olds to realise what
Italy's role is in the world".
Speaking at the presentation of RAI journalist Bruno
Vespa's new book, Renzi also turned his attention to domestic
politics and the economy.
He said that "there are signs of recovery. Are they
enough? I'm never content, because I want to catch Germany.
"But if last year they were wondering if Italy would end
up like Greece, today they're saying that perhaps we won't catch
Germany: the perspective has changed."
Renzi said "economic data are better than the forecasts
at the start of the year. If Italy restarts confidence and the
consciousness of its resources, it will take off again".
Renzi said it was "crazy" to be happy with youth
unemployment at 39.8% but the figures are better than before
"and there have been 300,000 new jobs in the last year".
Renzi said he thought Italy would post GDP growth of 0.8%
this year.
"We have achieved 0.7% growth, then since things were
going a bit better we set 0.9%.
"In my opinion we'll end on 0.8% although the economy
ministry maintains it'll be 0.9%, he said.
Renzi said Tuesday
"they've said we're throwing money to buy votes. I find no
phrase as vulgar and squalid as that. Apart form the fact that
we're not going to vote until 2018, you can bet on that". He
said that "by lowering taxes you are giving citizens back" what
has been taken from them.
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