Renzi to ask for EU funds to be outside Stability Pact
Premier says Europe must change to survive
20 March, 10:42
(ANSA) - Rome, March 20 - Italian Premier Matteo Renzi will
request Thursday that European Union structural funds be placed
outside the budget restrictions imposed by the Growth and
Stability Pact, Emilia-Romagna Governor Vasco Errani said.
Errani, who is also the president of the conference of
Italian regional governments, was speaking following a meeting
with Renzi's executive before the premier flies to Brussels for
a summit of EU leaders in Brussels.
"The government will raise the issue in Brussels, like the
previous executive (of Enrico Letta) did," Errani said.
"We'll see what the outcome is".Renzi, who became Italy's youngest premier at 39 after unseating his Democratic Party (PD) colleague Letta, has vowed Italy will not breach the EU's deficit-to-GDP ratio of 3% even though he considers the rule outdated.
He has also said the EU must change and be more than a severe teacher that checks if the member states have done their "homework", otherwise populist, Eurosceptic parties will gain momentum.
