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WORLD NEWS Thursday 28 February 2019

EU warns Italy to slash rampant public debt

By LORNE COOK size of its economy. Brussels in three months,
BRUSSELS (AP) — The Eu- Italy expects its debt-to- and comes at a time of
ropean Union expressed GDP ratio to rise to 131.7 heightened tensions — the
concern about Italy's debt percent, but the EU's exec- populist Italian government
levels Wednesday and utive body warned it might has vowed to defy any or-
warned the government be higher "due to the weak ders coming from what it
in Rome to push through macroeconomic outlook, considers to be an unelect-
measures to shore up the underachievement of ed commission of bureau-
public finances. privatization targets and crats.
In a review of Italy's eco- a worsening primary bal- In December, the commis-
nomic performance — one ance." sion forced Italy to submit
of the 28-nation bloc's big- "It is critical that debt a new budget plan after
gest economies — the Eu- European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs doesn't start growing it assessed that the previ-
ropean Commission said Pierre Moscovici talks to journalists at the European Commission again," Moscovici said. ous draft would break rules
Rome faces "quite consid- headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. As with the case of Greece governing use of the euro
erable challenges" due to Associated Press in the first half of this de- single currency. However,
high debt, slow growth and cade, many are con- it noted that even the re-
high unemployment. He said Rome "must take financial system." cerned about potential vised plan was "not ideal."
"The lack of progress in ad- steps to improve the qual- "The urgency of doing so is financial turmoil in Europe The direction of Italy's debt
dressing these challenges ity of its public finances, in- all the greater given Italy's should Italy lose control of will depend hugely on
unfortunately leads us to crease the efficiency of its weakening economic out- spending. Saving Greece how the Italian economy
conclude that Italy's mac- public administration, and look," Moscovici added. was hard enough; bailing performs — more growth
roeconomic imbalances also of (its) justice system, Italy's debt burden — how out Rome would be all but should lead to more tax re-
remain excessive," Econ- enhance its business envi- much it owes — is the sec- impossible. ceipts.
omy Commissioner Pierre ronment, and strengthen its ond-highest in Europe, af- It's the second budget And here there is a diver-
Moscovici told reporters. labor market as well as the ter Greece, relative to the warning shot fired from gence of opinion.q

Romania prosecutor backed for new EU job amid govt criticism

By ALISON MUTLER ecutor's Office is due to will make it harder to pros-
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) become operational at the ecute top officials for graft.
— A Romanian prosecutor end of 2020 and will inves- Justice Minister Tudorel
has won backing from two tigate fraud involving EU Toader recently wrote to EU
European Union commit- funds, and money launder- justice ministers accusing
tees to head a new prose- ing. The final appointment her of signing "anti-demo-
cutor's office fighting fraud, will be made after nego- cratic pacts" with Roma-
despite fierce opposition tiations between the Euro- nia's intelligence agency
from her own government. pean Parliament and the in corruption and national
The European Parliament's European Council. security probes.
Civil Liberties, Justice and Kovesi successfully prose- But political commentator
Home Affairs Committee cuted hundreds of officials Cristian Tudor Popescu said
on Wednesday gave the including ministers, mayors the government campaign
most votes to Laura Co- and state company direc- to stop her backfired as it
druta Kovesi, placing her tors during her five-year was perceived as "attacks In this Jan. 31, 2017 file photo, Romanian chief anti-corruption
above a French candidate tenure as chief prosecutor against European" institu- prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi speaks during an interview
and a German one. On of the National Anti-Cor- tions and values. with The Associated Press in Bucharest, Romania.
Tuesday, the parliament's ruption Directorate. But she Popescu said Kovesi was Associated Press
Budgetary Control Com- drew the ire of the Roma- considered suitable for the
mittee also selected Kovesi nian government, which is post because "she has the conditions, at a high level." minister, who cited misman-
as the top candidate. itself under criticism for a experience of fighting un- She was removed from her agement and asserted she
The European Public Pros- judicial overhaul critics say der pressure, in very difficult post last year by the justice overstepped her authority.