Austria ready to back Italy procedure

(ANSA) - Rome, November 14 - Bloomberg reported Wednesday that Austrian Finance Minister Hartwig Loeger has said Vienna is ready to support the opening of an infringement procedure against Italy if Rome continues to refuse to change its budget plans. Loeger was quoted as saying that the Italian government is "holding its people hostage" with populist messages.
    Loeger also said he disagreed with Italian Economy Minister Giovanni Tria.
    "On the contrary to what my colleague says, it is not a domestic Italian affair, it's a European affair," he said, according to Bloomberg.