Italy's economy minister insists abandoning euro not planned

ROME — Italy's new populist government isn't entertaining plans to leave the eurozone, the economy minister insisted in an interview while dismissing financial markets' rocky reaction to the euroskeptic coalition now running the country as "normal questions that accompany political transition."

Economy Minister Giovanni Tria told Italy's national Corriere della Sera newspaper in the interview published yesterday that the "position of the government is clear-cut and unanimous. No plan to exit from the euro is being discussed."

Tria, an economics policy professor who was a last-minute choice for the Cabinet post, went further with his avowal that Italy's footing in the 19-member shared currency union is firm.

"Not only do we not want to exit" the eurozone, but the government is determined to counter actions that would o "put our presence in the euro up for discussion," he said.

Tria, an economics policy professor, was a last-minute choice to replace the coalition's preferred pick for the post

Italy's president refused to approve the first economy minister proposed by the leaders of the 5-Star Movement and the League, a different economist who has advocated having a backup plan to abandon the euro.

President Sergio Mattarella cited fears that championing such a plan would further roil financial markets that were already jittery from the inconclusive March election and the prospect of a populist-led government.

Last week, during the League-5 Star government's first full week in office, the bonds market and Milan's stock market appeared nervous about the potential for Italy's already high debt to rise further.

The leaders of the two parties have promised to enact expensive campaign pledges.

Luigi Di Maio, who leads the web-based 5-Star Movement, Parliament's largest party, has pledged to give the unemployed and low-income Italians a guaranteed monthly income.

Matteo Salvini's right-wing League has vowed to drastically slash tax rates for both Italian citizens and businesses.

Both want to undo parts of a recent pension reform so Italians, who have some of the longest lives among the world's humans, can retire at younger ages.

During his newspaper interview, Tria brushed off a question about whether the high-priced programs would push up the deficit.

"The government was just installed; it wouldn't be serious to indicate numbers before a comprehensive review," he said.

Tria promised that government spending, in any case, "will be all in line with the aim of continuing down the path of the reduction of the relation of debt to GDP."

Di Maio and Salvini have argued that spending would be off-set by a boost in economic growth.

"The aim is growth and employment," Tria said. "But we don't aim to relaunch growth through deficit spending."