Italy's wrangle with some European
Union partners over using 'coronabonds' and complete budgetary
freedom to offset the economic impact of the coronavirus is "the
most difficult negotiation that Italy has ever had at the EU
level," Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Monday after an EU
summit ended in stalemate last week with leaders taking two
weeks to try for a deal.
Rome rejected northern countries' call for the use of the
European Stability Mechanism while northern deficit hawks
rejected a call from Italy and other southern European countries
for the new Euro bonds and for Stability Pact deficit rules to
be totally waived.
Di Maio said Monday that Italy was "raising its voice not
because we are Euroskeptics or out of arrogance."
He said "Italy is not to blame for this pandemic, and must be
able to spend everything necessary to help its people".
On the virus fight, Di Maio added that "our doctors, our
nurses, are our outpost in this war".
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