Italy not thinking about leaving euro: Salvini

MILAN: The leader of Italy’s League Matteo Salvini, who this week pulled the plug on his own governing coalition and called for a snap election, said on Saturday leaving the euro was not an option on the table.

La Repubblica daily, which is close to the centre-left opposition, said on Saturday that Salvini was preparing to campaign on an anti-Europe ticket and threaten to pull Italy out of the single currency bloc if no budget compromise can be reached with Brussels.

“The idea of leaving Europe, leaving the euro has never been in the pipeline,” Salvini told reporters on the sidelines of a rally near Matera, in southern Italy.

“This is yet another Repubblica fantasy, and I leave it in the pages of Repubblica.”

Salvini’s far-right League on Friday filed a no-confidence motion to bring down the government it forms with the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, a move that he hopes will lead to a snap election and install him as the nation’s new leader.

A day earlier, Salvini – riding high in opinion polls – had effectively triggered a government crisis by saying the ruling coalition was no longer workable.

With parliament in summer recess, Salvini has summoned all League lawmakers back to Rome on Monday and is pushing for a vote on the motion as early as next week, while opposition parties would prefer to wait until Aug. 19-20.

The decision lies with the heads of political groups in the Senate, who will meet on Monday to set a timetable.