Italy's 2017 accounts are fine, but those of 2018 will probably require a correction, which will become even heavier in 2019. In summary, this is Europe's latest blow to our country, which arrived just as the two forces Italian policies more hostile to the EU are engaged in the last steps for the formation of the government.
The European Commission writes in its spring recommendations that for 2017 Italy has complied with the debt rule and the country is "largely in line with the preventive arm of the Stability Pact".
The vice president of the EU Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, confirms that Brussels has "decided not to open a debt procedure against Italy", which however "must continue to reduce the deficit and debt".
In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Dombrovskis himself underlines that “the recommendation for this year envisages a structural correction of 0,3% of GDP, ie net of one-offs and the effects of the economic cycle. For 2019, the recommendation is for a structural correction of 0,6%”.
Adding up 0,3% for this year and 0,6% for next, we arrive at a shortfall of 15 billion. Money which, however, will not be found all together: "On 2019 we will express our recommendation on the draft of the Stability Law - explains Dombrovskis again - As regards 2018, the formal evaluation takes place after the fact, therefore it will be based in spring 2019 and will be based on the results of 2018".
