Gentiloni expects EU to acknowledge public-finance effort

(ANSA) - Rome, November 17 - Premier Paolo Gentiloni said Friday that he expects the European Commission to acknowledge Italy is working to improve its public finances in its upcoming opinion on Rome's 2018 budget package. "I am optimistic about the recovery," Gentiloni said at the end of the EU summit in Gothenburg. "Italy's growth is highly significant, with forecasts for this year that are double what they were a few months ago. This should be nurtured.
    "Italy's budget is accompanying this growth and respecting the European rules.
    "I expect the EU to recognise these efforts". The Commission is pressuring Italy to do more to improve its public finances and is expected to send Rome a letter asking for clarification regarding the 2018 budget law.
    Gentiloni said earlier on Friday that growth and investment are needed to have fairness in the labour market. "Without economic growth, and investment for the creation of jobs, there will never be real equity in places of work," Gentiloni said in his speech at the Gothenburg Social Summit. He stressed that "balancing the rights of young people and the elderly is a key issue," as is helping "young people and women to enter the labour market". Gentiloni said that around one million jobs were lost in Italy between 2010 and 2013 but more or less one million new ones were created between 2014 and 2017.