Anti-establishment 5-Star
Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio said Tuesday he has "no
problem taking part in a discussion with (Cabinet Secretary)
Maria Elena Boschi, after November 5 because now I'm busy with
the Sicilian elections...let it be a townhall-style affair,
preferably in a square in front of Banca Etruria with the
savers, that way she'll be able to tell her side of the story to
them too".
Di Maio was speaking after Boschi on Monday challenged him to
a debate on Italy's banking crisis after he called her and
ex-premier and Democratic Party (PD) leader Matteo Renzi
"persecutors" of Italian savers.
On Tuesday Boschi renewed the call, challenging Di Maio to
debate her to debate her on RAI State broadcaster's prime-time
chat show Porta Porta.
"Dear Di Maio," she wrote on Twitter, " why are you
afraid of facing me in front of a few million Italians? Porta a
Porta on Rai1 is waiting for us #giveusthedate".
On Monday Di Maio said Renzi "massacred savers and now wants
to be their champion, adding "he and Boschi are the persecutors
of Italian current-account holders, not the saviours".
Di Maio said "when they do their media show on (Governor
Ignazio Visco) and the Bank of Italy to show they want to
safeguard savers, they should remember that when they were in
power not only did they favour the banks but in 20 minutes they
passed a decree to save Boschi's bank and leave thousands of
savers destitute".
Banca Etruria, where Boschi's father Pier Luigi was vice
president, was one of four regional lenders rescued in a
bail-out that left many savers holding worthless bonds.
One Banca Etruria former bondholder, Luigino d'Angelo, killed
himself.
The government subsequently had to pass measures to
compensate the savers who had been tricked into buying risky
junior bonds.
The other banks were Banca Marche, Cassa di Risparmo della
Provincia di Chieti (CariChieti) and Cassa di Risparmio della
Provincia di Ferrara (CariFe).
They were saved, turned into good banks and taken over by
bigger lenders.
The row between Di Maio and Boschi comes after a PD motion
against renewing Visco's mandate caused a storm, with Premier
Paolo Gentiloni and President Sergio Mattarella stressing the
need to strenuously protect the central bank's autonomy and
independence.
The government is set to meet soon to weigh whether to renew
Visco's term or appoint a successor.
The PD motion criticised Visco for not acting "incisively"
enough to stem the banking crisis, which also included the
failure of two Veneto banks and the government's expensive
bailout of Italy's no.3 and the world's oldest lender, Monte dei
paschi di Siena (MPS).
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