Italy hunts for more options in bid to cut debt / Vote paves way for Italy austerity budget

Even as Italy’s parliament prepared to give its final approval on the 14 September 2011 to the centre-right government’s austerity budget after weeks of tortuous changes, investors were looking at what else Rome needed to do to halt a potentially mortal debt spiral.

Giulio Tremonti, Finance Minister, was reported to be preparing to meet Italian and foreign investors, including representatives of sovereign wealth funds, to discuss Italy’s next fire sale of public assets.

La Stampa, 15.9.11: Problems remain despite austerity (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu//en/content/news-brief-cover/952721-problems-remain-despite-austerity

Corriere della Sera, 12.9.11: “Italy can win back trust but needs greater discipline to convince the markets” http://www.corriere.it/english/11_settembre_12/growth-rigor-markets_876519e0-dd59-11e0-a93b-4b623cb85681.shtml

ESO: Background information: Italy makes last-minute budget U-turn http://www.europeansources.info/record/italy-makes-last-minute-budget-u-turn/

ESO: Background information: Italy turns to China for help in debt crisis http://www.europeansources.info/record/italy-turns-to-china-for-help-in-debt-crisis/

Deutsche Welle, 14.9.11: Italian parliament gives austerity package the nod http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15387751,00.html

---