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A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 5 sepTember 2019
Italy’s Conte forms new coalition of populists and Democrats

By FRANCES D’EMILIO ian ships rescuing migrants
Associated Press at sea. His League party
ROME (AP) — Italian Premier blames migrants for crime.
Giuseppe Conte forged a Replacing him as interior
new coalition government minister will be Luciana
Wednesday that teams up Lamorgese, a non-partisan
the populist 5-Star Move- immigration expert who re-
ment and center-left Dem- cently served as an interior
ocrats in an unusual alli- ministry official in Milan.
ance of rivals to banish for Both the Democrats and
now the specter of early the 5-Stars have vowed to
election that likely could keep pressing the Europe-
have seen the triumph of an Union for some system-
Italy’s fast-rising right-wing atic way to take the bur-
forces. den off countries like Italy,
Six days after President Ser- Greece, Spain and Malta,
gio Mattarella asked him whose shores are the des-
to try to form a new gov- tinations of asylum-seekers,
ernment, Conte reported refugees and other mi-
back to the presidential grants who are smuggled
Quirinal Palace that he had by human traffickers.
succeeded with a coalition Salvini’s archrival and fel-
of two long-bitter rivals. low deputy premier in the
Conte and his new minis- Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte arrives at Rome’s Quirinale Presidential Palace, Wednesday, Sept. government he brought
ters will be sworn in Thurs- 4, 2019. down, Movement leader
day. The premier said they Associated Press Luigi Di Maio, becomes for-
would “dedicate our best election to give him the 1.64%. The benchmark dicted that “in the end we eign minister.
energies, our abilities, our premiership. spread between 10-year will win.” Helping to shore up his ma-
passion for making Italy But after days of haggling, German and Italian trea- Conte gave no hint jority in both chambers is
better in the interest of all Parliament’s largest opposi- sury bonds, which had Wednesday how his gov- the inclusion in the new co-
Italians.” tion force, the Democratic been shrinking in the last ernment would grapple alition of one minister from
The prime minister’s first, Party, and the 5-Star Move- days as the new govern- with the country’s thorny a tiny left-wing party. Ro-
14-month-old government ment, long-bitter rivals, ment deal was looking migrant problem that has berto Speranza, who broke
collapsed last month when hammered out a deal. firmer, dropped 10 points propelled the right-wing to with the Democrats two
anti-migrant Interior Minis- “We stopped Salvini, and in one day, in a further sign the top of opinion polls or years ago, will be health
ter Matteo Salvini yanked merely the announcement Wednesday that investors what kind of relationship minister in the new govern-
his League party out of of this (new) phase is mak- were reassured. the new coalition, with the ment.
Conte’s coalition. ing Italy again a protago- Salvini professed confi- euro-skeptic Movement, Key posts include Rober-
Buoyed by months of rising nist in Europe,” said Nicola dence on Wednesday would mold with European to Gualtieri, as economy
popularity in opinion polls Zingaretti. the Democratic that he and his nationalist Union leaders in Brussels. minister. A Democrat, he’ll
and the European Parlia- Party’s staunchly pro-Euro- party will soon be back in Salvini had exploited his bring valuable insights into
ment elections, Salvini bet, pean Union leader, power. The new govern- role as interior minister to EU thinking since he heads
wrongly it turned out, that Markets appeared to re- ment “can’t escape from boost popularity among his the European Parliament’s
his surprise late-summer act favorably. Milan’s stock the judgment of Italians for voter base by stiffening a commission on economy
pullout would prompt a fall exchange index rose by long,” he tweeted. He pre- crackdown on humanitar- and finance.q

France’s Macron to launch controversial pension overhaul

By SYLVIE CORBET more sustainable for the fu- summer after months of
Associated Press ture. The government also protests against Macron’s
PARIS (AP) — French Presi- wants to apply the same economic reform program.
dent Emmanuel Macron rules to all new pensioners Some labor unions have
has held a special govern- in order to replace the 42 voiced worries that the pro-
ment meeting to discuss different systems specific posed pension changes
ways to launch an over- to certain jobs. Macron has will make people work lon-
haul of the pension system promised the legal retire- ger and reduce pensions.
that has the potential to ment age will remain at 62 Strikes and protests have
raise the ire of the so-called but new conditions might already been scheduled
yellow vest protesters. in effect mean those enter- for this month.
Macron gathered govern- ing retirement in the future Prime Minister Edouard
ment members Wednes- may have to work longer. Philippe will meet with work-
day at the president’s The average French pen- ers unions and employer or-
Elysee Palace in the pres- sion this year stands at 1,400 ganizations later this week.
ence of High Commissioner Newly appointed French High Commissioner for Pension euros per month ($1,500 Ordinary people will also
Jean-Paul Delevoye, who Reform Jean-Paul Delevoye stands by French Junior Minister for per month) once taxes are be able to take part in the
European Affairs Amelie de Montchalin, French Government’s
was appointed this week to spokesperson Sibeth Ndiaye and French Overseas Minister deducted, according to a debate through public
drive the reform program. Annick Girardin, at the start of his first cabinet meeting at the government report. meetings with government
Macron has said the chang- Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Wednesday Sept. 4, 2019. The reforms have the po- members and contribu-
es would make the public Associated Press tential to re-ignite the yel- tions on a specific website,
pension system “fairer.” The widely expected to fall into cade and the government low vest movement, which Philippe said in a news con-
French pensions system is deficit over the coming de- is under pressure to make it petered out during the ference Wednesday.q