Sources at Premier Paolo
Gentiloni's office said Thursday that the head of government's
decisions would protect the independence of the Bank of Italy.
On Tuesday, Gentiloni's Democratic Party (PD) caused a huge
furore by presenting a motion in the Lower House that came out
against Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco over his handling
of Italy's recent banking crisis, saying a "new phase was
needed".
Many saw the move as an attack on the independence of the
central bank.
The sources said that the premier's decisions will be "based
on the prerogatives attributed to him by the law and inspired
exclusively by the criteria of safeguarding the autonomy of the
institute".
Visco is coming to the end of his first term at the helm of
the Bank of Italy and, before the PD motion, had been expected
to get the nod for a second.
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