Italy's Di Maio says not seeking to replace economy minister

FILE PHOTO: Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi di Maio holds a news conference in Rome, Italy, March 8, 2019. REUTERS/Remo Casilli
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Remo Casilli(Reuters)
ROME (Reuters) – Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio on Thursday dismissed newspaper reports that he was seeking to replace Economy Minister Giovanni Tria.
Tria, a 70-year-old academic who is not a member of either of the ruling parties – the right-wing League and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement – has often struggled to get along with his political backers.
In an interview with broadcaster Canale5 Di Maio, who is leader of the 5-Star Movement, reiterated that the government will not pass any additional deficit cutting measures or a wealth tax in order to counter the effect of an economic slowdown on public accounts.
(Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni; Editing by Agnieszka Flak)