https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Italy's Giuseppe Conte acknowledged it was a "very delicate phase" for the country as he agreed to lead a new coalition government following the fall of a populist coalition. Here are some of the key economic challenges facing the debt-burdened nation. https://www.thelocal.it/20190829/four-key-economic-challenges-facing-italys-new-government Thu, 29 Aug 2019 18:25:25 +0200 four-key-economic-challenges-facing-italys-new-government Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Tuesday his government is determined to avoid triggering an EU procedure for excessive debt levels. https://www.thelocal.it/20190611/italy-absolutely-determined-to-avoid-eu-sanctions-over-debt-pm Tue, 11 Jun 2019 20:00:12 +0200 italy-absolutely-determined-to-avoid-eu-sanctions-over-debt-pm Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini vowed Saturday not to back down in a dispute with Brussels over the country's budget as Rome scrambles to avoid EU punishment for failing to reduce its heavy public debt load. https://www.thelocal.it/20190601/salvini-vows-not-to-yield-to-brussels-in-italy-budget-dispute Sat, 01 Jun 2019 17:13:45 +0200 salvini-vows-not-to-yield-to-brussels-in-italy-budget-dispute The EU warned Italy over its soaring debt on Wednesday, putting Brussels on a collision course with Italy's populist coalition government. https://www.thelocal.it/20190530/eu-warns-italy-over-its-soaring-debt Thu, 30 May 2019 11:23:52 +0200 eu-warns-italy-over-its-soaring-debt Interior Minister Matteo Salvini on Saturday dismissed ratings agency Moody's decision to downgrade Italy's credit standing because of the government's controversial budget plans and said the country's outlook was "stable." https://www.thelocal.it/20181020/salvini-dismisses-italys-ratings-downgrade-says-outlook-stable Sat, 20 Oct 2018 17:20:02 +0200 salvini-dismisses-italys-ratings-downgrade-says-outlook-stable Moody's cut Italy's credit rating by a notch on Friday over concerns about government plans for larger deficits and the high public debt load. https://www.thelocal.it/20181020/moodys-downgrades-italy-credit-rating-on-debt-and-deficit-concerns Sat, 20 Oct 2018 03:26:06 +0200 moodys-downgrades-italy-credit-rating-on-debt-and-deficit-concerns Italy's populist government agreed on Thursday on a deficit of 2.4 percent of gross domestic product for the next three years, in a move which risks setting Rome on a collision course with the European Commission. https://www.thelocal.it/20180928/italy-budget-of-change Fri, 28 Sep 2018 10:05:44 +0200 italy-budget-of-change A top EU official on Friday said that Italy's budget plans were going in the right direction despite calls for a major spending boost by the anti-establishment government in Rome. https://www.thelocal.it/20180908/italy-reassures-nervous-eurozone-on-budget-plans Sat, 08 Sep 2018 05:23:29 +0200 italy-reassures-nervous-eurozone-on-budget-plans Italy’s new anti-establishment government sought to reassure financial markets about its upcoming budget on Sunday amid increasing concern Rome could breach EU spending limits as it comes under pressure to fulfil its anti-austerity electoral promises. https://www.thelocal.it/20180902/tutto-bene-italy-seeks-to-reassure-markets-over-budget Sun, 02 Sep 2018 16:44:42 +0200 tutto-bene-italy-seeks-to-reassure-markets-over-budget Fitch ratings agency on Friday revised its outlook for Italian long-term debt from stable to negative, citing the risks of a "new and untested" coalition government. https://www.thelocal.it/20180901/fitch-ratings-agency-says-italian-debt-outlook-now-negative Sat, 01 Sep 2018 13:11:41 +0200 fitch-ratings-agency-says-italian-debt-outlook-now-negative EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici on Friday called on Italy to make a "significant effort" on its upcoming budget, warning that he expected talks with the anti-establishment government to be difficult. https://www.thelocal.it/20180831/eu-significant-effort-from-italy-on-budget Fri, 31 Aug 2018 15:01:31 +0200 eu-significant-effort-from-italy-on-budget The third largest economy in the eurozone, Italy is weighed down by €2.3 trillion of public debt. Here are five things to know about the country's debt mountain as far-right and anti-establishment leaders close in on a coalition deal following two months of political deadlock. https://www.thelocal.it/20180517/what-will-italys-next-government-mean-for-its-mountain-of-debt Thu, 17 May 2018 13:24:11 +0200 what-will-italys-next-government-mean-for-its-mountain-of-debt AC Milan face penalties from UEFA after European football's governing body said on Friday it had failed to strike a deal with the Italian club over its spending. https://www.thelocal.it/20171216/ac-milan-faces-uefa-financial-fair-play-penalties Sat, 16 Dec 2017 13:12:28 +0100 ac-milan-faces-uefa-financial-fair-play-penalties The European Commission sounded the alarm on Wednesday over Italy's high level of public debt, adding to concerns about the eurozone's third largest economy. https://www.thelocal.it/20171122/italy-government-debt-reason-for-concern-eu Wed, 22 Nov 2017 18:42:59 +0100 italy-government-debt-reason-for-concern-eu The ratings agency Fitch on Friday downgraded Italy's long-term debt rating a notch to BBB, one level above the "speculative" grade, citing the country's persistent debt and fiscal problems. https://www.thelocal.it/20170423/italian-debt-rating-downgraded-to-stable Sun, 23 Apr 2017 14:00:52 +0200 italian-debt-rating-downgraded-to-stable Italy is in discussions with the European Commission to try to prevent Brussels imposing penalties over Rome's management of its public finances, sources close to the talks said on Monday. https://www.thelocal.it/20170117/italy-in-talks-with-eu-over-budget-deficit Tue, 17 Jan 2017 09:44:58 +0100 italy-in-talks-with-eu-over-budget-deficit German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced optimism on Tuesday that Italy will be able to head off a banking crisis and insisted the situation would not snowball into a new eurozone emergency. https://www.thelocal.it/20160712/merkel-sees-no-eurozone-crisis-developing-over-italys-banks Tue, 12 Jul 2016 17:17:40 +0200 merkel-sees-no-eurozone-crisis-developing-over-italys-banks Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem on Monday said there was still time to solve the crisis affecting banks in Italy that is raising fears of new dangers to the eurozone economy. https://www.thelocal.it/20160711/eurogroup-chief-plays-down-italys-banking-woes Mon, 11 Jul 2016 18:31:17 +0200 eurogroup-chief-plays-down-italys-banking-woes Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco said on Friday that public intervention in the country's banks was not to be ruled out amid growing fears the sector's €360 billion ($398 billion) in bad debt would trigger a potentially contagious banking crisis. https://www.thelocal.it/20160708/bank-of-italy-head-hints-at-public-invervention-in-ailing-sector Fri, 08 Jul 2016 19:13:57 +0200 bank-of-italy-head-hints-at-public-invervention-in-ailing-sector Italy announced the creation of a €5 billion ($5.7 billion) fund on Monday to take on bad loans and guarantee that weakened banks can be recapitalized, financial news agency Radiocor reported. https://www.thelocal.it/20160412/italy-launches-5-billion-fund-to-tackle-bad-debt-report Tue, 12 Apr 2016 10:37:30 +0200 italy-launches-5-billion-fund-to-tackle-bad-debt-report