Economy Minister Pier
Carlo Padoan said Tuesday that the European Union adopting
greater flexibility in the application of its budget rules is a
legacy of the Italian duty presidency of the bloc in 2014.
"There has been turning point in the Commission's policies
and it was above all thanks to the efforts of the Italian
presidency in 2014," Padoan said at the end of an ECOFIN
meeting.
"Linking flexibility to reforms and investments is the
fruit of that debate".
When asked if the Commission was still attached to
austerity, he replied: "I thought that debate ended long ago".
Padoan added that he does not expect the economic
forecasts that the European Commission will publish on Wednesday
to be very different from those of the Italian government. "I
have the sensation there will be slight differences, but no
significant variations," he said.
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