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A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 6 June 2019
EU commission urges legal action against Italy over debt

By LORNE COOK League party's strong gains
GIADA ZAMPANO in last month's EU elections.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The Euro- The Italian government
pean Commission recom- only won commission ap-
mended Wednesday that proval for its 2019 budget
legal action be launched plan late last year. After
against Italy because it some early defiance from
failed to respect EU debt Salvini, Rome agreed to re-
rules last year and is likely duce the deficit to accept-
to do so again in 2019 and able levels.
2020, setting up a new con- Salvini wasted little time
frontation with the populist Wednesday in suggesting
government in Rome. that he would soon put the
In coming weeks, EU mem- commission in its place.
ber states must assess "I'm sure that in Brussels
whether an "excessive defi- they will respect our will,"
cit procedure" should be he said. "The only way to
opened against Italy and cut the debt created in the
the extent of any penalties. past is to reduce taxes and
It could face billions of eu- allow Italians to work more
ros (dollars) in fines. and better."
According to a new com- "Cuts, sanctions and aus-
mission report, Italy's pub- European Commissioner for Euro and Social Dialogue Valdis Dombrovskis speaks during a media terity have only produced
lic debt stood at 132.2% of conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, June 5, 2019. more debt, poverty, pre-
GDP in 2018, far above the Associated Press cariousness and unemploy-
EU's 60% limit. ment. We need to do the
"Moreover, Italy is not pro- to rise to 135%. average burden of 38,400 to almost a halt." opposite," Salvini said.
jected to comply with the EU Commission Vice-Pres- euros ($43,251) per inhabit- The action comes at a time Taking to Facebook, the
debt reduction benchmark ident Valdis Dombrovskis ant, and in addition the av- of rising tensions between leader of Italy's other ruling
in either 2019 or 2020 based told reporters that "Italy erage debt servicing cost Brussels and the Italian party, the populist 5-Star
on both the government pays as much in debt ser- was around 1,000 euros government, in particular Movement, complained
plans and the commission vicing as for the entire ($1,126)." Deputy Premier Matteo that some EU countries
2019 spring forecast," the education system. In 2018, He added that Italian eco- Salvini, who has been em- have been getting away
report said. Debt is forecast Italy's debt represented an nomic "growth has come boldened by his right-wing with high debt for years.q

Denmark: Early returns show populists fading, left leading

By JAN M. OLSEN four years. cial Democrats to form a he would no longer muster in 2015.
Associated Press The party led by 41-year-old "red bloc," a Social Dem- a majority in the 179-seat Many Danish People's Party
COPENHAGEN, Denmark Mette Frederiksen, which ocrat-led government Folketing. voters have drifted to the
(AP) — Early results and exit vowed a tough stance on would have 90 votes in the The Danish People's Party's Social Democrats, mainly
polls from Denmark's gen- immigration while cam- 179-seat parliament, a ma- performance was a con- because of it readopting
eral election Wednesday paigning, got 25.3% of the jority. trast to some other Euro- strict views on immigra-
suggested left-leaning par- vote, according to an exit The exits polls and vote pean countries, where far- tion. The party advocated
ties making gains and the poll for broadcaster DR. An count showed the Liberal right populists are on the restricting immigrant in the
country's populists fading, exit poll by broadcaster TV2 Party of Prime Minister Lars rise. The party, a backer 1980s and 1990s, but soft-
which if confirmed by final showed a similar picture. Loekke Rasmussen with a of Rasmussen's center- ened its position later while
returns would put the main Other left-leaning parties slight gain from four years right government and the in a coalition with left-wing
opposition Social Demo- also made gains. If those ago. But the support the second-largest party in the parties.
crats back in power after parties supported the So- opposition was getting and outgoing parliament, re- Its lawmakers have voted
for several of the center-
right government's laws to
tighten immigration.
"This is really, really bad,"
party leader Kristian Thue-
sen Dahl said, adding the
party would not change its
politics because of the loss.
However, the Hardliner
Course and New Right, two
openly anti-Muslim groups
that fielded candidates for
the first time, were hovering
around the 2% threshold to
Voters wait in line at a polling station in Odense, Denmark, dur- enter Parliament. The So-
ing the general elections on Wednesday June 5, 2019. cial Democrats have said
Associated Press
they want to form a one-
party government headed
what looked to be a huge ceived about 9.8% of the by Frederiksen, who would
loss for the populist Dan- vote, according to early become Denmark's young-
ish People's Party means returns, compared to 21.1% est-ever prime minister. q