Premier Paolo Gentiloni said
after talks with Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy in Madrid
Friday that "we will as always respect the European (fiscal)
rules but without in any way (budget) moves that may have
depressive effects, and confirming the reforming action that
Italy is carrying forward".
He said the very idea of supplementary budget moves, "makes
me feel ill".
Gentiloni said "I trust the European Union will not at all be
deaf and blind regarding the exceptional circumstances"
quake-hit Italy is faced with, "otherwise it would do a great
disservice to itself".
Italy and Spain "have one point in common, the interest in
getting from the EU an awareness of the importance of placing
the issue of growth at the centre of our policies with reason
and flexibility," Gentiloni said.
In other points, Gentiloni said "there is not instability in
Italy, there is a government that gas unfortunately gone through
the referendum defeat, which is working in continuity with the
government that operated for two years, is developing its policy
choices, is making the choices that must be made in this phase.
He said "Italy is a stable country working in continuity with
the previous government".
Political parties must decide on a new election system with
"necessary promptness" after the Constitutional Court ruling on
the Italicum law, Gentiloni said, "because that is necessary for
the good functioning of a democratic system".
Gentiloni said he was occupied with running the government
and would "respect" the choices parliament and political parties
make on the election law after the Constitutional Court ruling,
which abolished the run-off but kept the winner's bonus in the
Italicum law.
Gentiloni told the joint press conference with Rajoy that
Italy and Spain could play a "fundamental role in the coming
months".
First and foremost, he added, "as leading nations in the
European Union, and so among the various issues that we
discussed there was above all the significance of our commitment
to relaunching the Union", naming as important dates the
upcoming informal summit in Malta and the March 25 anniversary
of the Treaty of Rome.
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