Italy said it wants to be part of the EU, that it acts coherently

Rome, October 24 (EFE) .- The European Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Pierre Moscovici, said today that the Italian government had declared that it wanted the country to remain a member of the EU. European Union (EU) and the euro area and therefore, it must act consistently and rectify the accounts of 2019, which are not in compliance with EU regulations.

"The Italian government has clearly stated that it wants to be part of the EU and the euro, it must now act consistently," Moscovici said in an interview published by the Italian newspaper "La Repubblica".

The European Commissioner quoted the recent statements of the two Italian Vice-Presidents, Luigi Di Maio, and Matteo Salvini, leader of the Five Star League movement, who respectively insisted that the Italian Executive does not want the country leaves the European Union or the euro area.

The European Commission (EC) on Tuesday rejected the draft budget presented by Italy in Brussels in an unprecedented decision, after confirming that the government of Rome did not intend to change accounting, projected a deficit of 2.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) and was not in line with Community standards.

The Italian government now has until November 13 to respond and send a new draft budget for 2019.

"I hear that (those of Italy) are budgets of the people against the bureaucrats, but this is not the case, "warned Moscovici at the same time. The Commission fears that Italy's public debt, which exceeds 130% of GDP, "will not decline over the next two years".

Italy has set targets for 2019 as a deficit of 2.4% of GDP. GDP, a debt of 130% of GDP and a growth of 1.5%.

"We see an optimistic growth forecast of 1.5%, so there is a serious risk that the deficit will eventually exceed 2.4%," he said.

Moscovici pointed out that the letter addressed to the Italian Minister of Economy, Giovanni Tria, in response to the Commission in the past Monday did not respond to the questions of the Community Executive and n & # 39; Did not correct the numbers.

Instead, he went on to badume "clearly that budgets are out of the rules".

"That's why we asked for a new project before November 13, we followed the procedures to convince the government to do it," he said.

Moscovici baderted that a phase of dialogue was opening with the Italian government, which had stated that it expects it to develop in a "constructive" climate. "The Italian Executive hears the message"

As soon as the Commission receives Italy's new reply on 13 November, it will badess the situation and take a new decision.

"I do not want to advance the events, we are now discussing with the government I love the Italian in a constructive spirit.We have until the last day to hear us. we will carry out our evaluations, "he explained.