The Point : September 28, Luigi Di Maio, the leader of the Movement 5 stars, announced from the balcony of the palace of the government that Italy outstripped Europe in bringing its deficit to 2.4% of GDP. What was your reaction in the moment ?

Paolo Gentiloni : I felt a certain discomfort. Since fascism, there is only one precedent for a president on the balcony of the palazzo Chigi : Giovanni Spadolini in 1982, but it was to celebrate the victory of the world Cup of soccer. It is not used in the palace of the government for this kind of scene. My second reaction was to ask myself : “what is there was to celebrate ? “Italy was not to celebrate a political victory, sports or a great scientific discovery. The chief of staff of the M5S appreciated the simple fact of having contracted a large debt. It is singular to celebrate for a debt, rather, there is cause for concern. Unless you are famous victory against the resistance of a minister of his own government. This scene will remain as one of the saddest of the album of memories of our populism.

the strategy of The government can it work with Brussels ?

What I alarm is the isolation of our government, both in Europe and in the Mediterranean. If the executive League-Movement 5-star believes that his friends are Austria, Poland, and Hungary, he is mistaken. The interests of these countries are not ours. With our interlocutors, historical, France, and Germany, and our neighbours in the mediterranean, such as Tunisia, the ministers use a language that is aggressive. There is nothing to be proud when a member of the Italian government (Matteo Salvini, editor’s NOTE) quotes the words of Mussolini, ” Many enemies, much honor “. “So many enemies” means as of isolation. We would need the part of Brussels to a more flexible policy in favour of labour, and growth. For that, we need allies, not enemies.

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How do you consider the budget 2019 ?

It evokes a lot of the risks that the government is taking on the financial markets, but it does not raise the social risks. To keep all his promises and allow a large number of Italians enjoy, the majority would have had to adopt a budget of 100 billion, not $ 37 billion. It’s going to cause a lot of bitterness. The universal income will be a great disappointment. Moreover, the government has no idea Neyine on how to apply it. As to the pension reform, it is an operation very expensive, which will only benefit a small class of Italians. The old system is not abolished. These measures are limited, sometimes symbolic, including the “flat tax” (the tax reduction on income in two tranches, 15 % and 20 %, which will not be applied, ED), but that reverse the trend to improve our accounts of the actions of election that do not promote growth. The lie the more dangerous is, beyond the deficit to 2.4 %, with a promise of a 1.5% growth when all of the circles of independent experts are unanimous in saying that it is technically impracticable.

” The opposition should explain that, after five years, where she has been in the business, the fundamentals of the Italian economy are healthy and that the spread does not correspond to the economic truth. “

Exactly, the government believes it sincerely to such forecasts as the economic community judge fancy ?

I don’t know, but I find it hard to believe that the people who run one of the ten largest economies in the world have not the slightest idea of the reality of the public finances. I think they know very well that their growth figures are unattainable. There are in the government two schools of thought : the first aim of an electoral victory in the european elections ; the latter, and I hope they are in the minority, think lucidly that they can be the detonators of a crisis with the european Union.

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Despite the continuous friction between the League and the M5S, management clumsy the collapse of the bridge of Genoa, the crisis with Brussels and political xenophobia against migrants, the government is still very popular, 59 % of favourable opinions. The Italians have they sold for a handful of bribes election ?

The state of grace of the first months of a government is ephemeral. Five months of his taking office, the popularity of this government is not higher than that of those who have preceded him. Even the Monti government, which was not born of an electoral victory, taking more positive views at the end of five months. There was a euphoria around our government’s national-populist, but already the budget that we are talking about the will strain.

The opposition can’t be heard. What could she do ? An event giant in Rome ? A republican front for the european elections ? Or should it only be hoped that the rise of the spread compel the executive to reason ?

The opposition can not rely on the spread ! It should explain that, after five years, where she has been in the business, the fundamentals of the Italian economy are healthy and that the spread does not correspond to the economic truth Italian. As stated by Mario Draghi, the increased borrowing is not even the result of the decisions of the government League-Movement 5 stars but ads of sequence not followed. Italy does not deserve this spread. The opposition will play its cards in the european elections. This will be a very clear across the continent : for or against Europe. This electoral appointment, the forces that make up the government, and in particular, the M5S will be coming very impaired.

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