Italy Senate passes revised budget after EU standoff

Economy 13:16 23.12.2018

The Italian Senate on Sunday passed a revised 2019 budget agreed after a tense standoff with Brussels which saw the populist government water down key measures.

Senators passed the budget put forward by the governing coalition of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the anti-immigration League by 167 votes to 78, with three abstentions.

It was passed by a vote of confidence after midnight that avoided debate of around 700 amendments, provoking acrimonious scenes in the Senate with the opposition complaining about the lack of debate.

The budget is expected to go to the lower house after Christmas and before a New Year deadline.

In a historic first, in October the European Commission rejected Italy's big-spending budget, which promised a universal basic income and scrapped pension reform.

In a deal reached on Wednesday, Italy agreed to reduce the cost of both of its landmark measures, and is now committed to not adding to its colossal two-trillion euro debt load next year.

The EU and Italy negotiated intensely with both sides worried that a protracted feud would alarm the markets and ignite a debt crisis in the eurozone's third biggest economy.

Without the compromise, Italy would have ultimately faced a fine of up to 0.2 percent of the nation's GDP after a long and rancorous process with its eurozone partners.

The talks centred on the so-called structural deficit, which includes all public spending minus debt payments.

Italy's first budget was set to blow through commitments made by the previous government, and require Rome raising even more debt.

Last week's deal anticipates that this will now be balanced, with the overall deficit target lowered to 2.04 percent of GDP.

Italy's public debt is a big problem and now sits at a huge 2.3 trillion euros ($2.6 trillion), or 131 percent of Italy's GDP -- way above the 60 percent EU ceiling.

This is how Rahman Mustafayev exposed the representation of Armenia in ICJ - VIDEO

News line

Kenyan military helicopter crashes, five soldiers killed, police say
Kenyan military helicopter crashes, five soldiers killed, police say
23:45 18.04.2024
Greek PM Mitsotakis to meet Erdogan on May 13 in Ankara
22:55 18.04.2024
Guterres: ‘The Middle East is on a knife-edge’
Guterres: ‘The Middle East is on a knife-edge’
22:33 18.04.2024
CBA chairman discusses importance of COP29 in long-term development of global economy in Washington
22:00 18.04.2024
US Ambassador Marks Visit to Liberated Territories of Aghdam -PHOTOS
21:30 18.04.2024
Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation meets US Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations
Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation meets US Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations
21:21 18.04.2024
US and UK imposed fresh sanctions on Iran
20:43 18.04.2024
A Race Against Time: Can SDGs Goals Transform Our World by 2030? - ANALYSIS
20:18 18.04.2024
Japan to start 5th ocean discharge of Fukushima nuclear
19:30 18.04.2024
What does the departure of Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh mean? - Georgian pundit talks on Ednews
19:02 18.04.2024
EU made it's final decision on imposing sanctions on Iran following attack on Israel
18:42 18.04.2024
The new law in Italy may increase pressure on women
The new law in Italy may increase pressure on women
18:00 18.04.2024
EU Summit Stresses Importance of Stable Relations with Türkiye and Cyprus
EU Summit Stresses Importance of Stable Relations with Türkiye and Cyprus
17:48 18.04.2024
Caspian Sea Desalination Project: A Promising Solution for Water Security - OPINION
17:30 18.04.2024
Tesla Eyes $2-3 Billion Investment in India Amid Market Challenges
Tesla Eyes $2-3 Billion Investment in India Amid Market Challenges
17:21 18.04.2024
The EU will treat the violation of sanctions as a "judicial crime"
17:10 18.04.2024
European Commission to earmark €15M assistance to Armenia
European Commission to earmark €15M assistance to Armenia
16:55 18.04.2024
Was the presence of peacekeepers a threat to Azerbaijan? - OPINION
16:48 18.04.2024
Russia's presence in the South Caucasus is over - Russian Pundit
16:40 18.04.2024
Armenia PM: Turkish army is 50 meters away from Margara village houses, our goal is to get such situation
Armenia PM: Turkish army is 50 meters away from Margara village houses, our goal is to get such situation
16:31 18.04.2024
Iran threatens to attack Israel's nuclear facilities
16:05 18.04.2024
Samuel Wordsworth: Armenian claims of ethnic cleansing remain unfounded - VİDEO
15:43 18.04.2024
Channel for sale of human organs identified in Kyrgyzstan
Channel for sale of human organs identified in Kyrgyzstan
15:30 18.04.2024
This is how Rahman Mustafayev exposed the representation of Armenia in ICJ - VIDEO
15:17 18.04.2024
Azerbaijani NGOs adress open letter to Norwegian Nobel Committee regarding Ruben Vardanyan
15:02 18.04.2024
Russian MFA: West continues to militarize South Caucasus
14:46 18.04.2024
Umud Mirzayev: 'I have been gradually waiting for the Russian peacekeepers to leave Karabakh'
14:32 18.04.2024
Parliaments of Azerbaijan and New Caledonia ink memorandum of cooperation
Parliaments of Azerbaijan and New Caledonia ink memorandum of cooperation
14:17 18.04.2024
Azerbaijan weather forecast for April 19
Azerbaijan weather forecast for April 19
14:01 18.04.2024
Foreign minister of Ukraine met with Anthony Blinken
13:48 18.04.2024
Azerbaijan invited Swedish Prime Minister to COP29
13:28 18.04.2024
Withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Azerbaijan continues
13:05 18.04.2024
Pashinyan urges Armenian villagers to find inspiration, not disturbance, in their proximity to Azerbaijan
12:40 18.04.2024
Zelenskyy calls on Congress to speed up making decision on aid package to Ukraine
12:19 18.04.2024
Security measures strengthened in Georgian Parliament
Security measures strengthened in Georgian Parliament
11:58 18.04.2024
Anar Akhundov appointed Azerbaijan's new deputy minister of economy
11:39 18.04.2024
Ukrainian military leader: ‘We dream of victory parade in Moscow’
11:20 18.04.2024
Ombudsman: Some residents were burned alive in massacres in Bashlibel
11:05 18.04.2024
US State Department comments on withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh
10:40 18.04.2024
Football lawmakers to trial major laws which goalkeepers will hate
Football lawmakers to trial major laws which goalkeepers will hate
10:30 18.04.2024
Hamısı