S&P doesn't see major spread rise over presidential election

(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 13 - Sylvain Broyer, the Chief EMEA Economist for S&P Global Ratings, said Thursday that he does not see Italy's bond spread rising sharply because of the upcoming election of the nation's new president.
    Lawmakers from both houses of parliament and regional representatives will start the process of electing a new head of State on December 24 with President Sergio Mattarella's seven-year term coming to an end.
    "I don't see a big increase in the spread in view of the presidential elections in Italy," Broyer said during a press conference on the nation's prospects.
    "I think that the spread will remain, more or less, at the current level.
    "Our base hypothesis is that there is no great incentive to have early elections.
    "We are quite confidence there will be a situation of continuity". (ANSA).