Se hai scelto di non accettare i cookie di profilazione e tracciamento, puoi aderire all’abbonamento "Consentless" a un costo molto accessibile, oppure scegliere un altro abbonamento per accedere ad ANSA.it.

Ti invitiamo a leggere le Condizioni Generali di Servizio, la Cookie Policy e l'Informativa Privacy.

Puoi leggere tutti i titoli di ANSA.it
e 10 contenuti ogni 30 giorni
a €16,99/anno

  • Servizio equivalente a quello accessibile prestando il consenso ai cookie di profilazione pubblicitaria e tracciamento
  • Durata annuale (senza rinnovo automatico)
  • Un pop-up ti avvertirà che hai raggiunto i contenuti consentiti in 30 giorni (potrai continuare a vedere tutti i titoli del sito, ma per aprire altri contenuti dovrai attendere il successivo periodo di 30 giorni)
  • Pubblicità presente ma non profilata o gestibile mediante il pannello delle preferenze
  • Iscrizione alle Newsletter tematiche curate dalle redazioni ANSA.


Per accedere senza limiti a tutti i contenuti di ANSA.it

Scegli il piano di abbonamento più adatto alle tue esigenze.

Held up Eurogroup ESM reform talks - Gualtieri

Held up Eurogroup ESM reform talks - Gualtieri

Until essential points for Italy were defined says econ min

Rome, 05 December 2019, 13:38

Redazione ANSA

ANSACheck

- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-     ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri said Thursday he had held up Eurogroup talks on a reform of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) bailout fund until all the points Italy wanted clarified were "defined".
    "I defended Italy's interests and avoided isolation," he said.
    The reform has roiled Italian politics with the opposition accusing Premier Giuseppe Conte of "betraying" Italians and the ruling anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) saying it would block approval until it was satisfied with changes to points it said might hurt Italy.
    Conte is eyeing a delay to the ESM reform after the issue caused turmoil for his coalition government.
    The reform, which is set to be signed off later this month, would make the ESM more similar to the IMF, with support for States in financial difficulty made conditional on debt restructuring.
    Conte reported to parliament on the ESM on after the centre-right opposition said he had already signed up to a treaty that penalizes Italy, as it risks creating renewed pressure on the financial markets, and would not be amendable.
    Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said his M5S would only back the reform of the eurozone bailout fund if it is changed.
    Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said his M5S would only back the reform of the eurozone bailout fund if it is changed.
    The key stages in the ESM reform approval process are an OK from the Eurogroup this week and one from an EU summit on December 12-13. Gualtieri insisted Thursday that he had obtained clarification from the Eurogroup on all the points the Italian government deems essential.
    "We stopped them from concluding the talks until all the points we considered essential had been defined," he said.
    On one vexed question in particular, the issue of collective action caluses, "I said with clarity that I would not allow them to conclude until the conditions Italy laid down were approved, and they were, after an intense negotiation".
    Eurogroup President Mario Centeno said an in-principle accord had been reached on all the elements of the reform, including the "explanatory notes" on collective action clauses that Italy insisted on during the meeting.
    But nationalist opposition League party leader Matteo Salvini was not satisfied.
    He said the League would take to the streets Saturday and Sunday "to ask Italians to give us a mandate to go to parliament and say stop" to the reform.
    Conte on Wednesday ruled out vetoing the ESM reform at the upcoming EU summit, and also ruled out the possibility of the government splitting up on the issue.
    "I don't see either the first or the second risk," he said in answering a question on the two possible scenarios.
    "When the ESM is signed the political chiefs of the individual countries will decide, there are times and ways that we will decide after that".
    Eurogroup President Mario Centeno said Wednesday "we can see no reason to change the text" of the reform to the eurozone bailout fund.
    He said the new treaty on the ESM will be signed "at the beginning of next year". After agreement in the Eurogroup and at the mid-December EU summit, sources said, it will take a couple of months to translate the text into the various languages needed. The ESM reform is the subject of intense debate in Italy with the opposition accusing the government of "betraying Italians" and the ruling 5-Star Movement (M5S) clashing with partner the Democratic Party (PD) as well as Conte on the issue.
    One of the most controversial issues is whether debt restructuring will be automatic under the reform. Nationalist opposition League leader Salvini says the reform will mean Italian taxpayers paying for German banks.
    The German far-right Alternative for Germany says that it will mean German taxpayers bailing out Italian banks. Centeno said "the debate is ongoing, today we will take another important step and then we will weigh the needs for debate that are present in our countries".
   

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA

Not to be missed

Share

Or use

ANSA Corporate

If it is news,
it is an ANSA.

We have been collecting, publishing and distributing journalistic information since 1945 with offices in Italy and around the world. Learn more about our services.