League is running scared from budget decisions - PD

(ANSA) - Rome, August 9 - Nicola Zingaretti, the leader of the opposition, centre-left Democratic Party (PD), said Friday that League leader Matteo Salvini has pulled the plug on the government to avoid having to make the hard choices that drafting the 2020 budget law will demand. "If elections are held at the end of October, Salvini will stage his election campaign by continuing to say things that are not in heaven and earth," Zingaretti told RAI television.
    "Over the last four to five weeks (Economy Minister Giovanni) Tria, (Premier Giuseppe) Conte, (M5S leader Luigi) Di Maio and Salvini have all said different things about the public finances and how to address the budget.
    "They have recognized that they don't have a policy to propose to the Italian people and they are running away". Zingaretti said the next election was not already "lost" for the PD, given the big lead the League has in the opinion polls.
    He said the collapse of the League/5-Star Movement (M5S) government showed that "populism in government has failed". "They were good at making promises and giving out a little money," he said.
    "But the final balance sheet is a dramatic one. "Salvini accelerated the crisis because he is scared of the budget".