Page 8 - aruba-today-20181013

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 13 OctOber 2018
Students protest Italy’s spending plans, burning effigies

By COLLEEN BARRY paign promises.
Associated Press The government calculates
MILAN (AP) — Students that the boost in spending
across Italy demonstrated will increase its deficit to
against the government’s 2.4 percent of GDP, which
education funding plans, has worried investors and
in the first widespread show other countries that share
of dissidence against the the euro as a currency with
new populist government. Italy.
Students demonstrated in Italy’s economy minister
50 cities, including some has been attempting to
3,000 who ended their pro- reassure international part-
test outside the Education ners, most recently meeting
Ministry in Rome. Hundreds with the U.S. Treasury Secre-
gathered in the northern tary on the sidelines of an
city of Turin, where protest- IMF-World Bank meeting in
ers burned effigies of dep- Bali.
uty premiers Matteo Salvini The Economics Ministry
and Luigi Di Maio. said in a statement Friday
A student leader told Ra- that Giovanni Tria told his
dio 24 that the education U.S. counterpart, Steven
ministry had not accepted Mnuchin, during a meeting
their request to meet. in Bali that the aim of the
“We reject the ‘savings’ 2019 budget is “to reinforce
campaign regarding Students march during a protest in Rome, Friday, Oct.12, 2018. Italian students across the country growth in the Italian econ-
schools,” said Giammarco demonstrated against the failure of the government’s spending plans to include promised omy.”
Manfreda, a protest lead- allocations for schools, in the first widespread show of dissident against the new populist Italy’s plan to boost spend-
er. “If the government isn’t government. ing has created concern
afraid of change, show it Associated Press that the eurozone’s third-
by investing in education.” to be granted automatic “These ‘democratic’ stu- new school together,” he largest economy won’t be
Students were critical of a citizenship, and not wait dents, coddled by social said. able to bring down its high
lack of funds for textbooks, until their 18th birthdays to centers and by some pro- The Italian parliament has debt. Italy insists that the
transport and improve- apply, and against sugges- fessors, need many lessons approved the govern- measures will boost eco-
ments to school buildings, tions by Salvini to restart the in civic education,” Salvini ment’s spending plan, nomic growth, eventually
many of which have not un- draft. said on Twitter. which includes money to bringing the deficit back
dergone serious upgrades Salvini reacted angrily to Di Maio, who is economic roll back a pension reform, down, but investors ap-
in years due to spending the protests, saying that development and labor to offer a basic salary to pear skeptical. They have
cuts. Students also protest- burning effigies and hang- minister, responded by say- some job-seekers and to pushed up Italy’s borrow-
ed for the right of children ing them on street lamps “is ing that the ministry’s doors lower taxes. All of these ing costs in bond markets,
of foreigners born in Italy disgusting.” were open. “Let’s build a measures were top cam- a sign of caution.q

France’s Le Pen meets Bannon, changes mind on offer to help

By ELAINE GANLEY that only European voices ficial wasn’t authorized to
Associated Press should “shape the political speak publicly and asked
PARIS (AP) — Marine Le forces ... to save Europe.” for anonymity.
Pen, the French far-right Meanwhile, Le Pen’s le- Le Pen has other legal is-
leader, has met with for- gal situation grew murkier sues to contend with, one
mer White House strategist on Friday as investigative notable one with regard
Steve Bannon and signaled judges upped preliminary to her posting of photos on
her interest in his project charges against her over Twitter in December 2015
to help European populist the alleged misuse of Eu- that showed executions
parties. ropean Union funds by her by IS extremists. She was
Louis Aliot, a vice presi- and her party. handed preliminary charg-
dent of Le Pen’s National Le Pen stepped down from es in March for distribution
Rally party who is also her her post as a European of violent images. Le Pen
companion, said Friday on parliamentary deputy to posted the images after
BFMTV station that she met become a French lawmak- the November 2015 Paris
with Bannon a day earlier in er after last year’s legisla- attacks by IS that killed 130
Paris. In this March 11, 2018 file photo, French far right leader Marine tive elections, but remains people.
According to Aliot, Bannon Le Pen delivers a speech during the weekend’s party congress shadowed by the case Le Pen said Friday that an
wants to provide “techni- in Lille, northern France. in which some 15 people investigation has also been
cal assistance” for nation- Associated Press have been placed under opened over her Septem-
alist parties ahead of next paign to become U.S. ‘no’,” Aliot said with regard investigation, including Al- ber Twitter post of a court
year’s European elections president, Bannon has his to getting help. iot. document ordering she
but that he “doesn’t want sights set on Europe and he Le Pen’s apparent inter- On Friday, a judicial official submit to a psychiatric
to play a (political) role.” is planning a foundation, est in working with Ban- said Le Pen was now being exam in the case.
Two years on from help- called The Movement, to non stands in marked con- charged with misappropri- “This judicial harassment is
ing to mastermind Donald boost far-right parties. trast to comments earlier ation of public funds rather becoming terrifying!” she
Trump’s successful cam- “We’re not going to say this week when she said than breach of trust. The of- tweeted Friday.q