The mission does not change: this year the Italian public deficit must not exceed the 3% threshold set by the Maastricht treaty. Our country will therefore not ask for any favorable treatment, but "within those commitments, choices are needed that guarantee Italy more room for growth". This is the request made by neopremier Enrico Letta on his European tour at the start of his mandate. After meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo and EU President Herman Van Rompuy in recent days, this morning the head of government met the number one of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso .
The fundamental node remains that of resources. How to finance the tax measures announced by Letta in Parliament (in the first place the postponement of the Imu down payment) and at the same time ensure that the accounts are kept within the limits imposed by Brussels? At the moment it is not clear. The Premier has made it known that the discussion on this point will be addressed in a second meeting.
For the moment, Barroso said he is "very confident that Italy will exit the excessive deficit procedure", even if the government has yet to "present in concrete terms" the details on the economic budgetary measures, which must first be discussed in Parliament .
Letta confirmed that Italy "will keep the commitments made by the previous Government with the Commission" with respect to the objectives on the deficit: "We will present our ideas on how to stay within these commitments". Furthermore, the Premier “talked to President Barroso about how the fight against youth unemployment be the crux of our program.”
For its part, the Commission "will continue to closely monitor Italy's budgetary position - Barroso said -, and awaits the details" of the announced measures, so as to be able to take them into account in its decision on 'country-specific recommendations' , in relation to Italy, which will be presented on May 29th.
