Higher deficit was necessary says Tria

(ANSA) - Brussels, November 19 - Economy Minister Giovanni Tria defended the government's 2019 budget plan, which sees Italy running a deficit of 2.4% of GDP next year, at the end of Monday's Eurogroup meeting. "We are talking about movements (on the deficit) that are not large, so I say it is necessary to bring the debate back down to its real dimension," Tria said. "It was necessary to increase the deficit to do things that the government considered necessary, but we certainly have not breached the (3%) parameter. "The government's programme is not changing, but there is a desire to talk".