Italy’s Deputy PM Luigi Di Maio: No risk of speculative attack on Italian financial markets

 In an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Monday, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister (PM) Luigi Di Maio said that he sees no risk of speculators attacking the country’s financial markets.

Key Quotes (via Reuters):

“I do not see the concrete risk of this government being attacked. It is more a hope of the opposition.”

If “someone wants to use the markets against the government, it must be known that we cannot be threatened.”

His government would carry out all reforms with maximum respect for the “equilibrium of the state accounts” and that there was no need to exceed the EU’s 3 percent deficit-to-GDP limit.

“We will convince the EU to allow us to carry out reforms that will cut debt and boost internal demand.” 

His comments come after a senior government official said on Sunday that he expected speculators to attack Italian financial markets this month but that the country had the resources to defend itself.