Spread rises to 195 after Salvini retort (2)

(ANSA) - Rome, May 24 - The spread between Italy's 10-year BTP bond and the German Bund rose to 195 points after anti-migrant Euroskeptic League leader Matteo Salvini said he intended to do "the opposite of what the EU has threatened Italy with for the past few years". It later dipped to close on 191. The yield went up to 2.4%, a level it last reached at the end of 2014, before dipping to 2.38% by the close.
    The spread had earlier dipped to 177 on better expectations from the incoming government. There was pressure on Spanish and Portuguese bonds too.
    The spread has been rising on fears about the eurozone's first populist government coming to Italy, in an alliance between the League and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement.
    The lower the spread is, the better it is for the Italian economy and debt-servicing costs.
    The spread rose above 200 points last year on EU populist fears in France and other countries.