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ITALY-POLITICS-WRAP-UPDATE
Italy political turmoil spooks world markets
ROME, May 30, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Political chaos in Italy spooked world
financial markets as the possibility of snap elections leading to a populist
government gained force on Wednesday.
Tension rose as talks dragged on about forming a caretaker government that
far-right and anti-establishment parties have vowed to reject.
Asian stock markets closed in the red as no end appeared in sight to more
than two months of political deadlock. The euro reached 10-month lows against
the dollar, but later pulled back.
Caretaker prime minister Carlo Cottarelli met with President Sergio
Mattarella on Wednesday before heading to parliament for further talks.
– New elections expected –
A bid for power by the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and far-right
League collapsed over the weekend after Mattarella blocked their cabinet and
named Cottarelli caretaker leader.
Cottarelli promised Sunday to deliver a list of ministers “as soon as
possible” but by Wednesday he had still not unveiled his cabinet.
Five Star and the League, who hold a majority in both houses of
parliament, have in any case vowed to reject Cottarelli’s proposed technocrat
government.
They cried foul and abandoned their joint bid for power after the
president vetoed the coalition’s pick for economy minister, eurosceptic Paolo
Savona.
New elections are now considered the most likely outcome of the political
saga, which follows an inconclusive poll in March.
Italian media suggested that fresh polls could be held as early as July,
but for that to be possible parliament would have to be dissolved before
Friday.
– Populist coalition plan –
At a rally on Tuesday evening in Naples, Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio
appeared to relaunch the idea of a coalition government with the League
without a return to the polls.
“We are ready to review our position… Now we must respect the will of
the people,” Di Maio said.
“There is a majority in parliament. Let this government begin. We are fed
up with second-rate governments.”
Media speculated that a renewed bid for power by the populists could be on
the cards. Some suggested that League leader Matteo Salvini or his right-hand
man Giancarlo Giorgetti could be given the role of premier.
But Salvini didn’t seem interested in Di Maio’s overtures.
“I spent weeks in Rome trying to form a government. It was a futile
effort,” Salvini said while campaigning in Pisa.
He added that he was “ready to accompany the country to new elections as
soon as possible,” but rejected the idea they would be held in July.
Salvini’s anti-euro, anti-immigrant party has risen in opinion polls in
recent days. It has placed reform of the European Union at the heart of its
agenda.
– Anti-EU uproar –
On Tuesday, European Budget Commissioner Gunther Oettinger voiced the hope
that the country’s poor economic situation will keep populist parties out of
government.
“I can only hope that this will play a role in the election campaign, in
the sense of sending a signal to voters not to hand power to populists on the
right and left,” he said in an interview with German broadcaster Deutsche
Welle.
His comments caused uproar in Italy, prompting European officials to
distance themselves from the remark.
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker insisted that Italy’s “fate
does not lie” in the financial markets’ hands.
– Market jitters –
European stock markets recovered at the open of trading on Wednesday
following sharp losses triggered by the turmoil in Italy.
Asian equities tumbled at the close. The euro pulled back from 10-month
lows reached earlier against the dollar after the turmoil in Italy sparked a
frantic dash for safety.
Italy’s 10-year bond yields had risen on Tuesday to over 300 basis points
higher than Germany’s — a sign of surging investor doubts over Italy’s
financial stability.
By Wednesday the measure had eased slightly to 275 basis points.
“As the third biggest economy in the EU, as a heavily indebted one, and
with Eurosceptics seemingly in the ascendancy markets have worried that the
EU again faces an existential crisis,” said Greg McKenna, chief market
strategist at AxiTrader.
Italy central bank chief Ignazio Visco warned Tuesday of the impact of the
turmoil.
“We are only ever a few steps away from the very serious risk of losing
the irreplaceable asset of trust,” he said.
BSS/AFP/RY/1710 hrs