Govt must respect rules - Dombrovskis (3)

(ANSA) - Brussels, May 17 - European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis reiterated on Thursday that the new Italian government will be expected to comply with the EU's budget rules. "I don't comment in the policies of parties or the processes of forming governments, but what I emphasize is that, in any case, it is important to abide by budget discipline and, especially for Italy, to continue reduce the deficit and debt because these are risk factors," Dombrovskis told the European Parliament. "We are discussing the trajectory of the accounts with the Italian authorities and, in reality, this is also a message for the new government - it is important to stay on track". Matteo Salvini, the leader of the anti-migrant, Euroskeptic League, and Luigi Di Maio, the head of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, both told the EU to butt out when several members of the Commission this week stressed that the new government in Rome will have to respect the EU's budget rules.
    The M5S and the League are in talks on forming a new government and critics have said the policies they have proposed would cause Italy to breach the budget rules.